Complete Whitewash on State Employee Protections

  • 19 June 2013

The Senate tabled its 15-page report in parliament yesterday consisting of a majority report compiled by three Coalition and two ALP members, and a dissenting report from the Greens following the inquiry into state public sector workers' conditions of employment.  The report included no recommendations for reform.  The Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee received 39 written submissions to the inquiry, including ours, but only two from state governments – Queensland and Victoria.  It decided not to hold public hearings.  Karen Batt said evidence before the inquiry clearly showed that state government employees were disadvantaged because their employer is the Crown.  The report gives scant regard to that evidence and I am completely dismayed that the report white-washed this.  I suspect that's more about politics than principles.