PUBLIC SECTOR GRIEVANCE REVIEW COMMISSION

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to directing a question to the minister representing the Minister for Finance on the subject of the Public Sector Grievance Review Commission.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Under the various versions of the Public Sector Act over many decades, public servants have had the right to appeal to some independent body in relation to various employment decisions. That has changed with various versions of the Public Sector Act over those years.

Under the current arrangements, the body that relates to this is called the Public Sector Grievance Review Commission, which was introduced by the Public Sector Act in 2009. Under that act, a public servant who is aggrieved or alleges something wrong with an employment decision is able to take a complaint to the commission alleging nepotism or patronage, or some other serious irregularity in terms of an employment decision that public servant might have been involved in and aggrieved by.

Last week, public sector sources contacted the Liberal Party and indicated that, as a result of budget savings measures, there were now significant delays in appeals to be heard by the Public Sector Grievance Review Commission.

The information provided to the opposition is that the Chief Executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Mr Jim Hallion, is now requiring various departments and agencies, for the first time we are informed, to pay for the costs of any appeal lodged with the grievance review commission. The information provided to the opposition is that previously the costs of those appeals were met by the commission, whose budget was either met by the Department of Premier and Cabinet or Treasury through some whole-of-government appropriation.

The opposition has been advised that there is very significant opposition to this budget saving measure by chief executives of a number of departments and agencies, and in particular senior managers in relation to human resource management within those departments and agencies, and in particular what they believe now are unfair and significant delays in the hearing of appeals within the public sector against employment decisions. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has the government made a decision to require all departments to now pay for the costs of any appeal lodged with the Public Sector Grievance Review Commission and, if yes, what are the details of the decision and from what date has that decision operated?

2. What are the estimated increased costs that will be paid on an annual basis by departments to either the Department of Premier and Cabinet or to Treasury for the operations of the commission under any new financial arrangement?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:02): On behalf of minister Wortley I will refer the honourable member's question to the Minister for Finance in another place and bring back a response.