Hypocrites

THE latest controversial pay hikes for Queensland politicians tells a tale of two very different tribunals.

The State Government displays arrogant hypocrisy in accepting massive wage hikes.

The LNP Government’s handpicked three person independent tribunal has determined what it says are “fair’ salaries and allowances for Queensland state politicians”. These are significant pay hikes.

Currently the industrial tribunal, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, is independently examining what range of salaries and allowances would be fair for fire and emergency workers.

Both tribunals are supposedly “independent” but the State Govern- ment takes a very different approach depending on the particular tribunal.

When it comes to their own pay hikes, government MPs grin approvingly, trumpet the independence of their three amigos, trouser the cash, and keep mum about where the money to fund the massive increases will come from.

However, the government sings off another song sheet when dealing with the tribunal that examines workers’ wages.

Not content with legislating a diminished independence for the industrial commission, requiring it to take account of the government “fiscal strategy” and budget when looking at workers’ wages, and forcing basic industrial awards to be stripped of entitlements, the State Government sends lawyers and treasury officials into the tribunal to argue vigorously against firefighters’ and communication centre staff wage increases.

The government has gone as far as to state on the public record at industrial commission hearings that no matter what salary arrangements the workers’ tribunal finds to be fair and reasonable, the treasury will only fund up to 2.2% increases.

According to the government, any increases above 2.2% will have to be found by agencies cutting services or more staff. In the case of fire and emergency services, staff cuts, service cuts and understaffing stations and crews are already occurring despite the community paying more in levies.

It seems that the State Government treats some tribunals as more independent than others.

JOHN OLIVER, State Secretary United Firefighters’ Union Queensland