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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-04-05 Daily Xml
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ADVERTISING FOR PUBLICLY FUNDED EMPLOYEES BILL

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:58): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to regulate advertisements for publicly funded employees. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:58): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This bill requires that, where the taxpayer is paying all or part of the salary of an individual, that salary must be publicly disclosed when that position is advertised or in other information about that position. Currently that is not the case. Members might say, 'What's the big deal? People know what our salaries are'. They should, the public is paying for them.

What I find increasingly is that in a whole area in the community where the government is either paying a lot of money to an organisation, or it is local government or some other body which is relying on ratepayers' or taxpayers' money, when the positions are advertised, the salaries are not disclosed publicly. I do not think that is appropriate for two reasons: one, it is taxpayers' or ratepayers' money and, secondly, by not knowing, the community is not able to see whether, in their view, the increases in salaries over time or the level of salary paid is appropriate. We can argue about how much people should get paid, I accept that but, if it is kept hidden, the public is unaware of what that person is being paid. If it is taxpayers' money, I think the taxpayer has a right to know what salaries are being paid and what the level is.

This bill simply requires that people whose employment is effectively, either wholly or in part, funded by the taxpayer, their remuneration should be disclosed when the position is advertised. I will not go into specific examples now but, if members have a look in the situations vacant pages, or online, or wherever (if they are looking for a new career), they will find that the salaries are often hidden. There will be 'attractive package' or some other euphemistic terminology, but the public is kept in the dark and one would have to ask why: why is the public kept in the dark about something they are paying for?

This is a very simple bill and I think it has merit. I ask members to consider it and consider supporting it.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.

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