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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 6 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1555 ..

Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: standing order 118 (b) says that an answer "shall not debate the subject to which the question refers". The Chief Minister is clearly debating the subject. Just for the record, we are the party who put in place the Gungahlin Drive option anyway. We built the Barton Highway and we-

MR SPEAKER: Order! I am not interested. You have raised the point of order, and I think the Chief Minister has concluded.

MR STANHOPE: I conclude by asking the members opposite-rhetorically, of course-what steps they have taken to ensure that their federal colleagues facilitate consideration of the western option. What steps have they taken to ensure that the NCA will give real and fast consideration to any of the development issues of the western option? What steps have you taken, Mrs Cross, to ensure that your federal colleagues will put the interest of Gungahlin first, ahead of your tawdry and short-term political agenda? What steps have you taken? Show us the representations you have made to the colleagues of yours who are deliberately seeking to stymie the development of the western option.

Wage rises

MS GALLAGHER: My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister please inform the Assembly of the outcomes of two significant industrial relations issues: the living wage case and the ballot for the principals certified agreement?

MR CORBELL: This is an important question because this government, unlike the previous government, is prepared to engage in a very constructive way, at both a national and a local level, in achieving fair and responsible wage outcomes.

This government made a commitment shortly after being elected to office to make a submission to the most recent round of the national living wage case being conducted by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, something that the previous government declined to even get involved in. As far as I am aware, the previous government never made a submission to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in relation to the national living wage case. If they did choose to get involved, it was to the extent of saying that they supported the federal government's position-a very caring and sensitive approach that was.

The ACT government joined with other Labor governments earlier this year to make a joint submission to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission regarding its consideration of the ACTU living wage claim of a $25 per week wage increase.

Mr Cornwell: Is it still 60 per cent union on the preselections?

MR CORBELL: I am very happy to respond to Mr Cornwell's interruption

MR SPEAKER: No you won't, Mr Corbell.

MR CORBELL: In the ACT, unions and rank-and-file representation is 50 per cent each, Mr Speaker.

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