HealthCare Sector Workers

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:47): Final supplementary: does the minister agree that workers' claims for an immediate, fair and just pay rise of 20 per cent, followed by 5 per cent per year for each of the following two years is reasonable, especially given their vital work and the impact this work has on improving the ramping crisis? After all, that was a key pledge of the Labor Party at the last election.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for the invitation to essentially negotiate with him in the Legislative Council today in terms of headline wage increases. The member will be disappointed that I do not intend to enter into those negotiations right now, but we will continue those negotiations with the union that represents the workers. I must say that the honourable member has many, many skills, but I suspect the union and their leadership are probably just a little more experienced at those sorts of negotiations, so I will leave that to them.