Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Industrial relations

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:09): My question is to the Minister for Health. Under the CFMEU’s new pay deal, a traffic controller on a government Big Build project will be paid about $150,000 per year, plus superannuation, and could be paid far more with allowances. A registered nurse with eight years experience is paid $95,000 a year under the government’s own enterprise agreement. Why does this Labor government preference CFMEU workers over Victorian nurses?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:10): I thank the member for her question. I might say this: I reject the premise of the question. No government values the nursing and midwifery workforce more than the Allan Labor government, and it is why right now, through the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association, negotiations in good faith continue with the ANMF. I might put on the record that when it comes to negotiating with workers the ANMF have been very, very clear. In fact I unfortunately cannot use the words in this place as they would be unparliamentary to describe the thoughts and views of the ANMF in relation to those on the other side of the chamber, because the last time they were in power they showed absolute disrespect to our nursing workforce.

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister must be factual. The numbers themselves indicate that the government is happy to pay $150,000 for somebody to hold a stop–go sign but only $95,000 for Victorian nurses, and I ask you to bring her back to address that and be factual in her response.

The SPEAKER: The minister was being relevant to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: While negotiations continue on the enterprise agreement, we will continue as a government to do all that we can to support the hard work of our nurses and midwives. It is why our government introduced nurse–patient ratios, which were opposed by those on the other side of the house. They opposed it. Nurse–patient ratios go to one of the key issues that nurses raise with us. It is a key strategy to ensure that we manage and support the workload of nurses, and it has patient care at its centre. I might also say it is one of the reasons why Victoria is such an attractive place for international nurses, who go to great lengths to try and secure work here in Victoria because they want to be focused on delivering the very best patient care and they know that here in Victoria they can do that.

Emma Kealy: On a further point of order, Speaker, the minister is now debating the question. The question was specifically around Victorian nurses being paid substantially less than people who hold a stop–go sign. I ask you to bring the minister back to this important point.

The SPEAKER: The minister was being relevant to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Further, I welcome the opportunity to inform the member for Lowan about work that she may be unaware of, once again, in the federal jurisdiction, because it is the Commonwealth government that has responsibility for industrial relations and the work value case that is underway, where the Fair Work Commission is looking at the gendered impacts on pay here in Australia. We have one of the most gendered workforces in the world, and as a consequence of this the Fair Work Commission is looking at resetting the award rates for nurses and personal care workers, recognising that the work of nurses in our hospitals and in aged care has not always been valued, particularly by Liberal–National party governments.

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:14): Has the CFMEU’s new pay deal been factored into further cost blowouts of hospital building projects?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:14): I welcome the opportunity to talk about our $15 billion pipeline of health infrastructure, and I certainly will not be taking lectures from those on the other side, who have never managed a major project ever – not one. It has been fabulous. I was out recently with members of our caucus at the Angliss Hospital to see the redevelopment of that hospital site as well. I was recently down at Frankston Hospital and of course Latrobe Regional Hospital, where we have delivered stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 of the redevelopments of those hospitals –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is now debating the question. I ask you to bring her back to the question put: have the CFMEU pay increases been factored into these projects?

The SPEAKER: I remind members that a point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The minister was being relevant to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Our government is really proud to be investing more than $15 billion into much-needed health infrastructure in this state and, not only that, creating really great jobs in the construction industry along the way, creating quality jobs for the people of Victoria, making sure that we are prioritising social procurement and creating opportunities – (Time expired)