Page 2374 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012
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MR SPEAKER: Order members! It is very difficult when Dr Bourke is doing his best to stir up the members of the opposition. Dr Bourke, perhaps you could comment more on your own views on industrial relations and less about those of the Liberal Party.
DR BOURKE: Perhaps those opposite can assure us that long service leave of Canberra public servants is not in danger. What about the long service leave of our teachers, our nurses and emergency service workers? Is their long service leave dubious or redundant? We live in a society that values the contributions of all working people, whether they are employers or workers. We live in a society that values families and a society—
Mrs Dunne: A point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
Mrs Dunne: Relevance. The question was about the origins of long service leave and not the views of the opposition or whether or not particular employees’ long service leave would be at risk.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, I did ask Dr Bourke to focus on long service leave. When you just intervened, Mrs Dunne, I think he had actually got on to his own views on long service leave, so at this point there is no point of order. But we will stay away from the Liberal Party’s views on long service leave, thank you, Dr Bourke.
Mr Smyth: It was about the history of it. We’ve got no history.
MR SPEAKER: History and policy, I think.
DR BOURKE: When I was an employer I valued the opportunity to provide to my employees long service leave. In fact one of them stayed long enough for a second go. Long service leave has been a cornerstone of workplace arrangements since the 50s. The long service leave arrangements are as relevant today as the minimum wage, reasonable work hours, public holidays and annual leave.
At the same time that Canberra workers enjoy these benefits, I also welcome today’s news that unemployment in the ACT has dropped to 3.3 per cent from 3.4 per cent last month, and from 3.8 per cent a year ago. To suggest that long service leave is redundant or dubious is a ridiculous notion.
Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker, on a point of order, he again directly implied that Mrs Dunne had made statements. He was directly referring to what the Canberra Liberals’ statements might have been. You have advised him not to. Dr Bourke this week has continually refused to—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, what is your point of order?
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