South Australian Employment Tribunal

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (15:09): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General regarding the South Australian Employment Tribunal.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On 27 March, it was gazetted that one Leah Watkins, former General Secretary of the Ambulance Employees Association (AEA), has been appointed to a five-year term as a commissioner of the South Australian Employment Tribunal. This comes after Ms Watkins lost a ballot to continue as General Secretary of the AEA in October last year. My questions for the Attorney are:

1. What qualifications does Ms Watkins hold to be appointed to this position?

2. Was she appointed through an open process including other applicants?

3. Did the president of the tribunal request the appointment of an additional commissioner?

4. What is Ms Watkins' full remuneration over five years?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:10): In terms of remuneration I do not have those details with me at the moment. I am happy to go away and find out what those details are. Just to put aside a misapprehension I think the honourable member is labouring under, this was not an additional commissioner; this was to fill a vacancy that arose in the tribunal when a member of the tribunal was appointed to the federal Fair Work Commission, creating a vacancy.

Traditionally, on the SAET commissioners have a range of experiences from both the employer and employee representative side. There are those who have worked in larger corporations or in bodies representing employers but also a balance that I think governments of both persuasions over the years have sought to ensure is that there are those that represent the experience and have in the past represented the interests of employees, so from employers and from the union side.

With the appointment of a former person with union experience to the federal Fair Work Commission, Ms Watkins, who has significant industrial experience working for the Ambulance Employees Association, as the honourable member pointed out, was appointed to the SAET.