Page 4218 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019
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MS ORR: I would like to thank Miss Burch for the question. There is a range of policies in place, and support services, including the EAP services, provided to members of the public service, negotiated through EBAs, no less, by the union and a range of other people, and the public service itself. If I have understood Miss Burch’s question correctly, it is quite a broad one, asking for the whole suite of tools that are available to public servants. That is quite a long and exhaustive list. I have mentioned the EAP, the support services, and there are policies for making complaints and making sure that they are processed in a way that is fair and equitable to everyone; but it is quite a broad question with quite a lot of possibilities in the answer. I would like to take the detail of that question on notice and come back to Miss Burch.
MR WALL: Minister, how does the government expect its public servants to address workplace bullying and harassment when it does not provide the necessary resources to support them and ensure a safe workplace?
MS ORR: Thank you, Mr Wall, for your supplementary question. I reject the premise of that question given that it focuses on the links to the website. While those links may be broken it cannot be taken—
Mr Wall: Well, if they can’t access the resources they’re not available.
MS ORR: The resources are available through a number of means. If those links are broken that is one way we can improve the access to these policies. That does not mean that these policies and procedures do not exist. They are there; they are available. They are communicated to the public service through a range of avenues, including the website—
Mr Wall: They exist in a locked cupboard but they are really working well!
MS ORR: I am going to ignore Mr Wall because he is trying to be provocative.
MADAM SPEAKER: That would be wise, Ms Orr.
MS ORR: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I point out to the opposition that there is also the union, the CPSU, and the other groups that report to the public service. If there is an issue where a member of the public service feels they are not being fairly represented—
Opposition members interjecting—
Ms Berry: Point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, minister. Ms Berry.
Ms Berry: Ms Orr is doing her very best to answer this question and the interruptions are not helpful. I ask you to call members to order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Ms Berry. Members, please, can we get to the end of question time without the constant interruptions and interjections. Ms Orr.
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