Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, we were concerned but we were also very honest with our local community that there would be changes within the public sector. I was particularly pleased that our government was able to create the Career Transition and Support Centre through the auspices of the Australian Public Service Commission. The job of that transition and support centre will be to manage and coordinate as centrally as possible opportunities for any excess staff. If there are staff who find that a program they have been working in is no longer operative but for whom there are other opportunities in other parts of the public sector, we can assist them by moving them through that centre.

Another point to keep in mind is that we have an unemployment rate in Canberra of under three per cent—it is the lowest in the country. The ACT Public Service is very, very keen to recruit and is finding it very difficult, in that tight employment market, to do so. So, with no forced redundancies as part of our policy, I am now confident that any impact on the public sector that may be seen as negative will be kept to a minimum, and for those who are affected we will be doing what we can to ensure that they have as secure a future as we can possibly offer.

The last, very quick issue that I want to talk about is the indexation of Commonwealth superannuation pensions. I know this is a very important issue for many people in my electorate, let alone around the country. I understand the disappointment that they may be feeling at the moment with the rate of progress on this important policy issue, but I want to take this opportunity to assure everyone concerned in that sector of my continuing efforts and those of my ACT colleagues to further this matter through government, and we will be doing that. In summary, I think this budget is a step in the right direction for Canberra, and I want to congratulate the Rudd Labor government on the initiatives, the ideas and the long-term vision that they have displayed in producing this budget. I thank members of the House for their courtesy during my speech.

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