Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-16 Daily Xml

Contents

Ambulance Employees Association

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (15:01): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector regarding the enterprise agreement with the ambulance employees.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On ABC radio last week, in responding to questions about the new enterprise agreement with the Ambulance Employees Association, the Minister for Health and Wellbeing stated that this matter sits with the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council and Minister for Public Sector.

In the previous Labor administration prior to 2018, enterprise agreement matters regarding public sector employees were managed by the responsible portfolio ministers. My question to the minister is: why under this government has it changed its mind about how industrial relations and public sector responsibility for enterprise agreement negotiations, from the line minister to himself in his role as Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector—responsibility?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:02): I thank the honourable member for her question. In terms of how it may have operated prior to 2018, I don't have knowledge of that. I was a minister but didn't have responsibility for industrial relations. Certainly, the way that the enterprise agreement negotiations are conducted is consistent with what happened immediately prior to the last election.