Enterprise Bargaining

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:38): Supplementary: will the Treasurer confirm that, while he will not countenance back pay for nurses, teachers and police, he has in fact offered Liberal staffers back pay after they voted down the government's original agreement twice?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:38): That is not an accurate portrayal of the situation. Can I indicate, in relation to the teachers for example, that part of the current offer actually involves a payment that commences on, I think, 1 October 2018, and with a payment in May. However the honourable member would like to characterise 'back pay', the current offer, which was rejected by the Australian Education Union, does involve an element of payment that goes back to October and May. That was the willingness the government had to try to come up with a sensible compromise. Sadly, that has not occurred in terms of the then leadership or the current leadership of the Australian Education Union not being prepared to accept what was a very sensible, we believe, compromise that the government offered to the teachers.