Page 3138 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
who I think we would all acknowledge on an individual level have very little bargaining power at times although when they join with their union they have delivered a much stronger outcome.
The great problem with the thinking behind much of this reform is it does not exist in the real world or the real economy. It assumes the best of employers, the worst of unions and the perpetual wisdom of a deregulated labour market. This misguided approach does not reflect the lessons of recent years, whether nationally or here in the ACT, with 20 years of low inflation growth which came out of the accord period and the establishment of Australia’s enterprise bargaining system; the willingness of unions and workers to reform working arrangements when given adequate consultation and rights; or the vested interests and irrational behaviour which can distort and damage the experience of working people.
Australia, and Canberra in particular, are high-skill, high-tech, high-wage economies. These are economic advantages established over time which need to be leveraged not undermined. Furthermore, if you look just beyond the immediate self-interest of those who might advocate labour market deregulation, it is clear that a more stable, healthy, fairly paid workforce is ultimately one which will drive future economic activity and growth.
Locally, this government have had a very strong record of ensuring and, in fact, enhancing working people’s rights and conditions in the workplace, whether that be through the changes we have made through occupational health and safety, the extension of a number of portable long service leave schemes to ensure that those workers working in portable industries do have access to appropriate conditions for the length of service in which they serve and also in terms of the approach we have taken to our own employees.
I think what can be shown very clearly through this approach is that, where we have a strong economy, we have very strong protections for working people through the legislation that we have control of. We do have, of course, the federal workplace regulations laws which also govern the ACT, but we have taken steps and, as an employer, I think we have tried to lead the way in enhancing conditions such as maternity and paternity leave entitlements, volunteers leave, carers leave, a whole range of conditions which seek to make the ACT public service an attractive place to work.
I think it is that recognition that good working conditions, good remuneration, a positive employer that is engaged with their employees and seeks to resolve any workplace conflict through consultation and mediation is a much more preferable set of arrangements to foster growth and innovation and jobs than one which seeks to remove and reduce and constantly talk down hard fought for conditions that have been sought after many years. I will continue to argue for that. I think this motion is very timely, and all members in this place should be talking about enhancing people’s working conditions rather than reducing them at this time.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Housing and Minister for Tourism and Events) (3.50): I
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video