Government bans the words “bad for the budget”

Details

Published: Wednesday, 01 April 2015 00:00

NSW voters obviously like Mike Baird. He seems a pleasant bloke (although we do wonder about some of his friends) and he has managed to distance himself from the ten Liberal/National politicians forced to resign or moved to the backbench over the last couple of years. Yes 10, you can count them on his fingers.

Barry O’Farrell may have been an affable kind of bloke too but we don’t really know. We do know that he could bring a decent bottle of wine if you invited him for dinner - as long as he remembered that he had it at home to bring in the first place.

The only glitch in the Liberal/National re-election campaign was the revelation that someone in the Government had asked UBS to remove the words ”bad for the budget” from their review of the Government’s electricity privatisation plans, compromising their advice and misleading the public. Currently being investigated by the corporate regulator ASIC and others, no one really knows yet who made the call to the investment bank to remove the words that would have been politically damaging prior to the election.

Today Premier Mike Baird announced that this sort of examination of what should never have been exposed wouldn’t happen again. “We will make it an offence to use the words “bad for the budget”, in any way”, the Premier said.

“Many will argue that this is bad for freedom of expression, bad for democracy but it won’t be bad for the Government. The sooner we forget about those unacceptable words the better.”

Forewarned that this was a risk, media organisations and civil libertarians had lobbied the government about this bad move but were unable to budget.

Election Special

Details

Published: Wednesday, 25 March 2015 11:40

There are potentially many, many issues to determine how people will vote in NSW elections on Saturday. For some voters, one issue will be enough and for others it will be a more comprehensive examination of policies. For some, of course, it will be brand loyalty.

depa is not affiliated with any political party and, as you’ve seen over the years, we are equally happy to be critical of the role of Government whether that be Coalition or Labor.

As a registered industrial organisation under the Industrial Relations Act (that’s how both unions and employer organisations are registered) we obviously have more of an interest in those things that affect our members.

We didn’t like it when the Carr Labor Government started stripping away workers’ compensation entitlements and we didn’t like it either when the O’Farrell Coalition Government made things even worse.

For the election we have asked four questions of both the Government and the Opposition. In asking the questions we provided a guarantee that the responses would be published unedited.

We have done this before and find that it’s usually easier to get a policy response from an Opposition and harder to get one from the Government - especially if the questions we’re asking are hard to answer, make them uncomfortable or press them for explicit assurances they would rather be quiet about.

Here are our four questions below. Labor also provided a PDF of their comprehensive local government policies. This is a link if you would like to explore it.

Here are two links to articles that, by coincidence, were published today in the Sydney Morning Herald.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-state-election-2015/first-the-carrot-then-the-stick-state-policy-on-council-amalgamations-examined-20150324-13z11t.html

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-state-election-2015-reducing-nsws-152-councils-to-38-would-cost-445-million-modelling-shows-20150324-1m6l6s.html

1. The NSW Government’s attitude to local government

Preface

The Department of Local Government keeps getting smaller, suffering a variety of name changes and a reduction in its seniority in the Government/Cabinet and its role in the industry.

Question 1

Will the Government take steps to ensure local government as a portfolio receives a higher profile in the Government?

Coalition Government response

Under the Baird Government, the local government sector is finally receiving the attention it deserves.

For example, we have provided more than $1.5 billion in grants to help country and city councils upgrade and maintain their roads, bridges and culverts. This is the highest level of funding for local and regional roads in the state’s history, dwarfing Labor allocations in its last four financial years in government (i.e. 2007-08 to 2010-11) by more than 40 per cent.

Our Fit for the Future package is the most significant investment the State has ever made in the local government sector, and ensures that local government firmly remains a key priority for a re-elected Baird Government.

ALP response

Yes. We will form a Premier’s Council for Local Government to bring together all relevant stakeholders and develop new partnerships between the NSW Government and the local government sector.

2. Amalgamation of councils - to compulsorily amalgamate or not to compulsorily amalgamate, that is the question

Preface

Everyone is aware of the recommendations of the Independent Review Panel and what has been a traditional and historic view of both sides of politics that amalgamations should be voluntary. The Independent Review Panel, amongst other things, proposes compulsory amalgamations and the Fit for the Future strategy appears to encourage that if Councils do not meet certain criteria, which have been challenged by both councils and academics.

Read more ...

And now back to the 19th century when mothers knew their place

Details

Published: Tuesday, 24 February 2015 14:37

Getting hot under the collar is the wrong response

We’re not going to identify the Council at this stage, nor name the Director pictured above, because we are hoping for the best and we have a member returning to work after parental leave in a hostile environment anyway. But how about this...

Read more ...

From one GM with poor HR to another...

Details

Published: Tuesday, 24 February 2015 14:37

Our second dispute with Bankstown City Council (whoops, now the secrets out, it’ll be another contempt allegation against us) about the inadequacy of their investigations policy and processes came before the Industrial Relations Commission on 10 February.  Initially filed out of frustration because GM Matthew Stewart kept ignoring our requests to renegotiate their procedures, our fundamental problem is that Bankstown doesn’t accept that employees should be able to see and understand any findings that are made against them.
 
Investigations are conducted by external investigators who produce a report with findings and explanations but where the employee who may be adversely affected, whether they are found guilty or not guilty of the allegations, is not allowed to see it.

This is worse if the employee is found guilty, because they don’t get to examine the evidence or the reasoning but it is a problem too for employees found not guilty because the Council’s management/HR people are able to verbal the employee, develop their own conclusions based on their understanding or misunderstanding of the report to all say whatever they like because no one can check. The way Bankstown handles it means that being found innocent may not be enough.

Read more ...

Tamworth and GM Paul Bennett humiliated in IRC

Details

Published: Tuesday, 24 February 2015 14:36

GM Paul Bennett, “have I got something on my face?”

Yes Paul, you do.

When Tamworth GM Paul Bennett decided not to contest the position of President of the LGMA for a second term, we thought we had seen the last of his clumsy forays into HR and industrial relations.
 
As President of LGMA (alright then, let’s call it by its proper name when Paul was in charge, the Local Government Poseurs Association) he crashed into the negotiations for the 2014 State Award, bagging the agreed settlement to both LGNSW, which had agreed to it, the Minister for Local Government, who was irrelevant to it, and offending both the employers’ organisation, the unions and the President of the IRC who had conciliated to finalise outstanding or unresolved issues and then made the Award by the consent of the parties.

It wasn’t just the content of the correspondence that offended either. LGNSW President Keith Rhodes was addressed as Keth, a woman’s name in Denmark, and we’re not sure what to make of that. At least he didn’t conclude his letter telling Keth to get back to ironing her husband’s shirts. On the LGPA’s website, his letter to the Minister for Local Government was available by clicking on “Letter to Minister Tool”  – it’s Toole, Paul, a name which, without the final “e”, could be intended to offend. Still, if LGPA wanted to call the Minister a tool, why not. It wouldn’t be our first policy difference with them, but we think he’s a terrific bloke.
 
And in case you need a reminder, one of the issues the LGM/PA in the Bennett era was most upset about was the clause going into the Award that chronically ill employees could, with the agreement of their Council, take their sick leave at half pay. It was Paul’s approach to employing people which, for the first time, earned LGMA a nomination in our worst HR Awards last year.

Read more ...

NSW election on Saturday 28 March

Details

Published: Tuesday, 24 February 2015 13:31

On 28 March everyone gets to vote for the least worst option.
 
Pardon our cynicism, but Labor has had a tainted past, a dozen or so Liberal/Nationals were demoted as Ministers, or resigned  from Parliament after seeing what some Labour politicians had done and, driven by competition, couldn’t let Labour get away with something so entrepreneurial when they always believed that they could do that sort of thing so much better.
 
depa will be writing to both sides with a number of critical questions about the issues that will affect you in your working life in local government. Are they really Tweedledum and Tweedledee, or Tweedledum and Tweedledummer? We’ll write to the Greens too, because they often look like a more active opposition in NSW.

And we’ll publish their answers, unedited, next month.

Who wouldn’t like to hit a ball into this beautiful lake?

Details

Published: Tuesday, 24 February 2015 13:29

Last chance. We have 12 teams already signed up for the Union Picnic Day Golf Day at Blackheath on Friday 13 March, but if you get your fingers out, we could fit in another couple.

Let Margaret know on by Friday 6 March or miss out.

Special: Welcome to 2015 issue, three disputes already this year but we won't mention *********

Details

Published: Wednesday, 21 January 2015 12:12

Fit for the Future, or some other F word?

Details

Published: Tuesday, 20 January 2015 15:02

Well, the pressure is on this year. Councils floundering around about whether they will satisfy the NSW Government’s guidelines on fitness or whether they will be unable to get over the bar.

depa has always been enthusiastic about reforming the historic local government boundaries to develop stronger, better resourced councils more capable of paying market rates, providing family flexible work and proper training. We’ve seen too many councils simply incapable of funding their training needs, and ignoring the interests and welfare of their employees, to let the current arrangements of little organisations effectively trading insolvent, to continue.

Questions about the government’s commitment to boundary changes, an impending NSW State election and the nagging feeling that whatever happens, what you, or we want, is probably not going to be a major consideration, will make this an interesting year.

Anyone for golf 2?

Details

Published: Tuesday, 20 January 2015 14:59

You can’t say we didn’t warn you, we raised this first back in the November issue.

On Metropolitan Union Picnic Day on Friday 13 March, the depa Union Picnic Day Golf Day will be held again at Blackheath golf course. For members who haven’t attended this great event, words can’t convey what a fabulous and rewarding experience this is.

The Union Picnic Day Golf Day was first held in 2004 and over the years has been won by Blacktown, North Sydney twice, Penrith, Bankstown twice, Leichhardt and Canterbury. Won’t it be embarrassing if Bankstown wins again this year because on the last two occasions the Mayor has provided a nice sandwich lunch for members to allow the presentation of the impressive depa Cup.

The first response to the November issue was from Willoughby Council who will have a team of four. The EDAP group is also sending a team of four who would happily travel to attend and participate. Most of you will know that EDAP is a professional group that in the olden days took over from AIBS and AIEH in that big Western wedge of the state using Penrith or Blue Mountains as the start and fanning out to the South Australian border. Well done, EDAP see you there.
 
Shoalhaven this week advises the sending a team and now we call generally for those of you interested in getting a team together at your Council to let know you are interested and will be attending.

Remember this day is free (we get sponsorship from LGS, even though they are now pro-nuclear) and even if you can’t get up a team from your Council, you can come as part of a composite team with people you know from other councils or happily turn up by yourself and we will allocate you into a team.

Look how nice the place is! This is the 17th green.