Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 3:11:05 to 3:16:08
Officials discuss the completion of the staffing classification review, which considered issues raised during enterprise bargaining and involved surveys of electorate staff.
Topics: Workplace relations, Workplace culture
Speakers: Simon Newnham, Senator The Hon James McGrath, Senator Susan McDonald, Speaker 1, Unknown Speaker, Interjection, Senator The Hon Don Farrell
>> can I say this, Senator? You know, if I started talking about these sorts of meetings, um, Okay. All
appreciate that you >> I don't want to turn this into one of the fireside chats that sometimes we have but um but I I I do have a role to ask questions. You do know that and sometimes you may dane to answer them. um sometimes. But just in relation to uh the staffing classification review, the department um are you assured that the classification review has been able to fully consider the issues raised during the last enterprise bargaining exercise which was the reason the review was committed to in the first place?
>> Senator, I'm happy to begin. I might ask Miss Frazer or Mr. Pulson um to come back on any specifics as well. Um I can certainly as you've said s this was a review uh commissioned out of the outcomes uh from um the enterprise agreement. Um it did experience some delays but has been uh rapidly worked on of late. The review as you may be aware Senator has been completed. Um there was surveys of elected office staff between May and June this year. There have been a number of uh results from that that go to uh the broader range of functions of staff, the uh autonomy exercised by them etc. and a number of findings. Um I know your your question goes to quite a specific component I will pass to a colleague in just a moment but for the benefit of the committee. Um uh the outcomes from the review were certainly discussed in the employee uh consultative group on multiple occasions as it as it was also with unions. We have shared that with the PWSS and with the independent reviewers uh as well and obviously there are steps ahead in terms of uh engagement with the special minister of state and government consideration. But on the specific question I will just turn perhaps to Mr. Mr. Fulton and Miss Frazer.
>> Thank you Simon. Um Shannon Frazer first assistant secretary business enabling services. uh senator um the terms of reference that was uh endorsed by the specific of state in November of 2024 was quite definitive and so um we've undertaken the review as best we can within within the term of reference that
>> Um thank you for that. I have lots of questions but but I do want to get to the AEC. Uh so um um we'll be putting them on his notice and I I'm assured they will be answered on time. That that would be correct.
>> Yes,
>> we will work very much to try and get those to you on time
>> and and and the minister in terms of questions on notice.
>> We we shall respond in our usual prompt manner.
>> And that's what scares me. Um [laughter] can I um I'm finished. Well, not finished. have barely started the AEC, please.
>> Most certainly. Can I just uh touch base on whether we believe we're going to get the parliamentary workplace support or the independent parliamentary expense authority?
>> I don't think I don't think we are.
>> Okay. Well, let's um
>> I release them.
>> Chair, >> could I just say one thing before we finish? One of the questions came earlier from um Senator McGrath regarding um security upgrades and the time taken and so forth. We've taken that on notice. Um I I just would like to perhaps note that we're we're very very conscious of uh whether it be new measures that are recommended for elected officers or repairs, damage for example that's experienced by elected officers. And from time to time we do experience delays. um sometimes they are unavoidable, sometimes they are areas that we are striving to do better on. But we will answer that question on notice and get that data for you. I just think in the in the moment that we're in um I did want to underscore um uh we're very very conscious of reacting as quickly as we can to get those um those repairs in place or new measures in place that go to security requirements.
>> No, I I appreciate that and appreciate the work that uh you and your fellow officers are doing. So, uh, thank you very much.
>> Thank you very much. We appreciate your time, but we will now let you go. And I would ask the Australian Electoral Commission to, uh, beat a speedy path to