The Liberal Government was elected to fix the budget mess, and we will not be deterred or held ransom from doing so.
The previous Labor-Green government left $1.1 billion in accumulated deficits and 1000 job cuts embedded in the budget.
We had a strategy to save 500 of those jobs – that strategy has been completely rejected by Labor and the Unions from day one.
We have been clear for several months that the pay freeze must be enacted or 500 additional jobs would need to go.
Adjourning the pay freeze yesterday would have meant an indefinite delay to critical savings. The budget has passed the parliament and a guaranteed way forward on savings is essential.
In a month’s time, in six months time, there was no guarantee the pay freeze would have been supported by unions or passed by the Legislative Council. In fact every statement from unions over many months has demanded the pay freeze bill be thrown out.
For unions to claim yesterday at one minute to midnight that they would negotiate on the pay freeze is completely counter to their complete rejection of this measure over many months.
I have met with unions on three occasions since June to outline our strategy for saving 500 jobs and asked them to offer alternatives to the pay freeze they rejected. None were forthcoming and the time for negotiation has passed.
Peter Gutwein, Treasurer
