The President of the Legislative Council, Sue Smith has reacted angrily to suggestions by the State Government that the State’s house of review is to blame for the mess created over politicians’ pay rates.
Ms Smith said at a time when people were losing jobs and the economic prospects for Tasmania were looking grim, to play politics with the emotive issue of politicians pay rates was appalling.
“I raised the issue of politicians’ pay rates with Premier Lara Giddings in February last year and yet the Government chose to do nothing until the last minute,” Ms Smith said.
“Now we have a situation where the Premier is suggesting she will again attempt to negotiate a pay increase through further discussions with the Legislative Council.
“There is nothing to discuss.
“The Legislative Council has considered the legislation put forward and it has agreed there should be no pay increase for the State’s politicians and any further decisions should be put at arm’s length to elected members,” Ms Smith said.
“It is plain and simple, the Industrial Commission is the appropriate vehicle to make these decisions and suggestions that politicians should be involved is wrong.”
Ms Smith said the Premier and members of the House of Assembly now had a choice, they can accept a wage freeze and move to the Industrial Commission or they can allow massive increases in pay rates for elected members at a time when the Tasmanian community is doing it tough.
“As a house of review, it is our role to consider the legislation put forward and act as a check and balance on the excess of executive government.
“The Legislative Council has done this and believes it is not appropriate that politicians received a pay increase and that any further increases be placed at arm’s length and considered by the appropriate independent body,” Ms Smith said.
“If it is good enough for the rest of the community to have their pay rates set by the Industrial Commission, then it is good enough for elected members.”
• Community and Public Sector Union
Media Statement 25 May 2012
Exporting quality – Tasmanian federal public sector jobs head to the mainland
The union representing the federal public sector has warned that the quality of local service delivery will fall as the impact of the Federal Budget hits Tasmanian jobs and essential services.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) says that the Commonwealth Government’s own data – compiled by the Australian Public Service Commission – shows that more than 350 Tasmanian federal public sector jobs have been lost since 2008.
Quality concerns
“The Federal Government’s own figures betray the uncomfortable truth that Tasmanians are, yet again, being short-changed when comes to a fair share of essential public services,” Paul Blake, CPSU’s Tasmanian Regional Secretary, said.
Mr Blake said that with over two thirds of all federal public sector positions located outside of Canberra, the proposal for an extra, across the board funding cut of 4 per cent for the coming year – the so-called extra efficiency dividend – would bite deep in Tasmania.
“Many federal public sector workers have contacted CPSU concerned about an alarming decline in quality – both in terms of services and jobs – as these funding cuts start to wash through from the mainland, into our local communities,” he said.
Frontline cuts
• Staffing freezes active in most Australian Public Service agencies in Tasmania and no replacements for staff who resign or retire
• Sorell Centrelink office earmarked for closure.
• 28 voluntary redundancies to occur in the customer contact areas of the Department of Human Services, principally in Centrelink and Medicare Australia
• Cuts at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations with unconfirmed numbers of voluntary redundancies currently on offer
• Possible office closures at the Australian Electoral Commission
• Reports of many Health and Ageing senior policy jobs being exported to Canberra
• The relocation of Department of Defence jobs to Victoria for remote management
• Australian Antarctic Division Budget cut by three per cent (excluding capital funding for infrastructure works)
Brain drain
“One of the most concerning trends is the relocation of quality strategic and management positions away from Tasmania,” Mr Blake said.
“In fact we’ve seen many of these higher level policy positions being moved interstate – being partially replaced, if at all – with lower level processing jobs.
“This is entrenching the Tasmanian brain drain. We constantly hear of our children having to move interstate for work, but it is apparent that adults and their families are also moving away to progress their careers.
“Rather than forcing people to move to Canberra, the Federal Government should be investing in Australia’s regions, allowing states like Tasmania to retain and develop home-grown talent, while attracting the best and brightest to help make a national contribution, here locally,” Mr Blake said.
