Page 1948 - Week 06 - Friday, 6 May 2005
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MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (10.11): I seek leave to move amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name together.
Leave granted.
MS GALLAGHER: I move amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name and table a supplementary explanatory statement to the government amendments [see schedule 1 at page 1979].
After the introduction of the Long Service Leave Amendment Bill 2005, the government received feedback from the Association for Payroll Specialists that the provisions surrounding access to leave after seven years were unclear. This government amendment clarifies that an employee will be entitled to begin to take long service leave after seven years service. The entitlement to take leave will be subject to the current conditions on the taking of leave. Leave can be taken as soon as practicable after it is accrued, having regard to the needs of the employer’s establishment, or at such other time or times as agreed by the employer and the employee.
The amendment does not change the rate at which the leave accrues. The rate of accrual is 0.2 of a month’s leave per year of service. This means an employee taking long service leave after seven years could take 1.4 months leave. The amendment also enables an employee to begin their access to their second tranche of long service leave after 12 years, rather than the existing 15 years service. The further amendment substitutes the word 10 years with seven years. It is consequential on the first amendment and it clarifies the effect of the entitlement to early access to long service leave on pro rata entitlements on termination and on payment for ineligible service after seven years.
MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (10.13): We have had discussions and I thank the minister for the briefing provided by her advisers in relation to this. During those discussions, we raised some matters regarding clarification of these amendments, notwithstanding our general view about the thrust of the bill. But I think the amendment serves to remove any risk of ambiguity in those provisions.
Amendments agreed to.
Bill, as a whole, as amended, agreed to.
Bill, as amended, agreed to.
Rates Amendment Bill 2005
Debate resumed from 3 May, on motion by Mr Quinlan:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (10.14): The purpose of this bill is to put the calculation of rates for rural land on the same basis as that for urban land. Urban rates presently consist
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