Page 2375 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012
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Mr Hanson: It is a point of order on relevance and also I am just seeking your advice because he has continually refused to answer questions. He has continually been out of order when it comes to relevance. At what point do you warn a minister to be relevant to answering questions and to directly answer questions? You are quite willing to warn members of the opposition for interjecting but when members of the executive—
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hanson.
Mr Hanson: refuse to answer questions—
MR SPEAKER: This is not a point of order. Sit down, Mr Hanson. This is an opinion, not a point of order. Ms Porter, a supplementary question.
MS PORTER: Minister, can you advise the Assembly why the government has been so progressive in establishing portable schemes for long service leave?
DR BOURKE: The ACT Labor government are proud of our commitment to long service leave for our public servants and our efforts to extend it to other Canberra workers, such as security guards and community workers, unlike the opposition. The opposition is clearly unaware that major structural change in Australian industries is moving employment to the service industries. Technology has transformed the very nature of work, and new industries have emerged to replace jobs that no longer exist. The pace of this change is increasing every decade.
The era of one job and one company for life has all but disappeared. Most young workers now and all workers in the future will have several career changes in their working lives. They will also have shorter working lives relative to the length of their lives. The trend is now towards non-standard working hours and variable working patterns which include casual, part time, job sharing and contract work. There has been an increase in self-employment.
It has become necessary for a large number of workers to develop a portfolio of skills that can be adapted to different working environments and across industry boundaries. It is for these reasons that we have been so progressive. We have been willing to think outside the box to ensure the objectives of long service leave are met and that workers receive their full entitlements.
As I have said, unlike the opposition, this government will not walk away from its responsibilities to ensure fairness to all workers in the ACT. We do not believe long service leave is dubious or redundant.
MR HARGREAVES: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Can the minister advise the Assembly of the numbers of workers in the ACT who would benefit from portable long service leave schemes, without consulting Wikipedia?
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