Question Time

PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): My question is to the Premier. Why did the Premier sign a letter dated 1 February 2010 guaranteeing no public sector forced redundancies, and will the Premier and his government stand by his written word?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:25): Well, on the issue of forced redundancies, let us compare the words that are given in election campaigns. In 2002 we announced no privatisation, no forced redundancies—

Mr WILLIAMS: I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, there is a point of order.

Mr WILLIAMS: Madam Speaker, the question is very specific: why did the Premier sign a letter dated 1 February, and will he stand by his written word?

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to the Premier's response, but he has hardly got into it yet.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Yes. We are dealing with letters sent to the Public Service Association in relation to no forced redundancies: 2002, no forced redundancies, no privatisation, and we stuck to it; and 2006, no forced redundancies, no privatisation, no tolls on roads (the Liberals' solution), and we stuck to it, and we want to be able to honour the commitment this time.

In fact, as I have said before in the media and elsewhere, I do not believe that we will have to have forced redundancies because we have put forward—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Love to.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson.