Emergency Services

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:03): Supplementary, sir?

The SPEAKER: Supplementary.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Thank you very much. Minister, will salaried employees of the CFS and SES be required to negotiate their future workplace agreements with the firefighters union?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:03): Actually, I have turned my mind to that. Clearly, you haven't read the discussion paper before you made any comment, because the discussion paper and also the forums—

Ms Redmond: Fora.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Whatever.

The SPEAKER: A Latin plural or an English plural are of equal validity.

Mr Whetstone: He needs all the help he can get.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: That's right. That's why I am on this side and you are on that side—I need your help. Sorry, now I have lost track. What was the question again?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Well, you had to read it out. The answer is that, once the proposal is approved to go ahead, there will be a workplace agreement between the four parties involved, which are the two voluntary associations and the two unions—both the PSA and the UFU.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: If you let me finish the answer, it would help because that workplace agreement—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is really going for some sort of record. Minister.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: The workplace flexibility agreement has to be negotiated between those four parties and that process will not start until the model is actually finally approved, if it is approved. I have made the point on a number of occasions at the forums and also at the stakeholder discussions—and all the parties are aware of this—that, at that point, that workplace flexibility agreement will outline a whole range of proposals including how we match up jobs, how we match up the wages, how we deal with grievances and a whole range of things. That flexibility agreement will be in place before any transition to a new organisation occurs.