Page 1123 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 25 March 2015
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MR BARR: Madam Speaker, I can provide some additional information. The public service EBA has this as a day in lieu, essentially due to the fact that the public holiday falls on the Saturday. All ACT public servants have a holiday entitlement on Monday, 27 April. There is no decision to open schools or not; staff have a holiday entitlement under their EBA. It is as straightforward as that. There are no additional entitlements; this is a present and existing entitlement within the ACT public service EBA for all ACT public service staff.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: To either minister: was the impact of the additional public holiday discussed during the enterprise bargaining negotiations?
MR BARR: It is not an additional public holiday; it is a service holiday for ACT public servants. So it is not a public holiday; it is an additional day for ACT public servants. And, yes, in the context of the EBA, a substitute day for when Anzac Day falls on a weekend is commonplace. It is certainly the case across the country that, when Anzac Day falls on a Sunday, there is a replacement public holiday for everyone on the following Monday. When Anzac Day falls on a Saturday, the practice for states and territories has not been to declare a public holiday. We did in 2009, when this last occurred. So no state or territory has a public holiday on the 27th, but we have an ACT service holiday for our public servants. That is in their EBA.
Mr Coe: Why is it now a shock?
MR BARR: It is not a shock. The EBA requires—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: It has been signalled for months.
Dr Bourke: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: A point of order. Can we stop the clock. Dr Bourke.
Dr Bourke: Madam Speaker, the opposition are continually interrupting—
MADAM SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. You are interrupting Mr Barr’s answer to the question.
Mr Corbell: On the point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: I will not take a point of order. Dr Bourke stood up after he heard me call the opposition to order. There is not a point of order.
Mr Corbell: At the very least, Madam Speaker, you should give him the benefit of the doubt. He was rising to his feet. Whether or not you were calling people to order at that time was another matter.
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