Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-10-14 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

public service leave

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:49): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government questions about Public Service leave.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: There has been a series of questions placed on notice since late last year to all ministers in relation to the level of untaken leave as at 30 June 2014. Some 10 months (or almost a year) later, four of the 14 ministers have responded to those questions. From those questions we can glean that, in some agencies such as communities and social inclusion, some public servants have up to 109 days of annual leave untaken as at the date of 30 June 2014. In the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, it was up to 91 days, in the then DMITRE, it was 88 days, and in the then DFEEST, it was some 60 days. My questions to the Leader of the Government are:

1. Is there one public sector-wide policy that all departments are required to implement in relation to public servants taking annual leave, or are departments allowed to develop their own policies in relation to this issue?

2. If there is one policy, what are the details of that particular policy?

3. Will the minister undertake to seek answers from the 10 remaining ministers who have still not responded to the questions relating to the level of untaken leave as at 30 June 2014?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for his questions. I will need to take those on notice. I am not aware of the details of the policy arrangements, so I am happy to take that on notice and bring back a response.