Page 1100 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 6 May 2014
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growth, and so has the commonwealth government. The point I was making before I was interrupted by the point of order was that the commonwealth government has grown its level of employment in the ACT as well in the period of the Rudd-Gillard government by about 10,000 jobs. So about a third of the jobs growth in recent times has come from the commonwealth government. The ACT government has been a contributor, and so has the private sector. All three major employees—be it the private sector, the territory government or the commonwealth government—have contributed to jobs growth. Only one, Madam Speaker, is about to pull the pin on that in a pretty savage way.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Berry.
MS BERRY: Minister, what risks are there to the ACT jobs market?
MR BARR: Clearly the biggest risk comes from the biggest employer—that is, the commonwealth government—which employs around 65,000 to 66,000 Canberrans, although that number is rapidly reducing with the election of the Abbott government. We saw a period of significant growth in the commonwealth public service in the ACT under the Rudd and Gillard governments from about 55,000 positions that they inherited from the Howard government to around 66,000 positions that they handed over to the Abbott government when they took office last year.
The most recent data is demonstrating that the commonwealth government are shedding positions. If we are to believe the Commission of Audit and the recommendations contained within that particular report, 15,000 jobs—the CPSU estimate 25,000—could be lost. More will be revealed on federal budget night, but one thing is for certain, and everyone knows it: this city does better under Labor governments.
Emergency services—alleged bullying
MS LAWDER: My question is to the minister for emergency services. Minister, this year you have received a report from the Fair Work Ombudsman concerning bullying in the ACT Ambulance Service and now a provisional improvement notice from WorkSafe ACT for failing to ensure that your directorate investigated allegations of bullying. Minister, will you guarantee there is no bullying in the ACT Ambulance Service and that there are no other reports of bullying currently being investigated?
MR CORBELL: The Fair Work report dealt with a payroll issue. That is what it dealt with; it dealt with a payroll issue. So let us be clear about that. It dealt with a payroll matter which was the subject of a dispute between a number of employees and the management of the ACT Ambulance Service. It was rectified through Fair Work Australia. In relation to the other matter that Ms Lawder refers to, I might ask her to repeat the last part of her question, because unfortunately I did not catch it.
MS LAWDER: Minister, will you guarantee there is no bullying in the ACT Ambulance Service and that there are currently no other reports of bullying being investigated?
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