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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-16 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:07): My question is again for the Treasurer. Why has there been an increase in the number of public sector employees deemed as being excess to requirements? During a March 2009 Budget and Finance Committee meeting, Mr Warren McCann confirmed that 416 employees were deemed excess at a cost of over $30 million per year, up from 387 at 30 June 2008 and 266 at 30 June 2007.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:08): Clearly, we have a rolling program of efficiencies going through government.

Ms Chapman: Going the wrong way.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I reckon they will be having an efficiency program pretty soon over there. I think there will be a few job cuts over there in the very near future—

Mr WILLIAMS: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I think there will be—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will answer the substance of the question.

Mr Pederick: He doesn't know it.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That was a humiliating apology, wasn't it, Martin?

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will come to order! The Treasurer will answer the substance of the question.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I think you should be a bit careful. I think you should just take stock and be happy with where you are at on that case.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Quit while you're behind.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, quit whilst you're behind. The increase in people on the unattached list, I assume, is as a result of the fact that we are continually rolling through efficiencies where we are making programs and positions redundant as we continually drive down the cost of doing government.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Schubert!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: There was an unattached list when the opposition was in office. Do you remember all those bus drivers we used to have? There used to be a few hundred bus drivers sitting in a warehouse playing poker, baccarat, blackjack or whatever they were playing, so I think you lot over there should be the last to talk about people on the unattached list. Our government has a no forced redundancy agreement in our industrial agreement. Tenure, I assume you support that, do you? Do you support tenure?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yet again they will not put a position on the table. We can now say that the Liberal Party is not confirming tenure.

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: So, you would sack them, would you, member for Goyder?

Mr WILLIAMS: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, is the Treasurer attempting to move that standing orders be so far suspended so that we can have a debate, or is he going to answer the question?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer should not incite interjections by the opposition.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir; it is just that it is a nice day for a walk in the park. The increase in the number of people on the unattached list is a function of government efficiencies and, I assume, positions being made redundant. That is a management exercise, and we will manage it. I know who believes that it is part of a package that is manageable by the government: they are called Standard and Poor's and Moody's rating agencies, who are very comfortable with our budget settings. Why are they so? As they say themselves, we have demonstrated before strong financial management, fiscal discipline and even fiscal rectitude. They have every confidence that we will be able to continue that into the future.

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