Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader
Treasurer Gutwein’s approach to public sector wage negotiations has been in bad faith since day one.
With Mr Gutwein, it’s always his way or the highway. Even when he partially backs down, it’s not done in good faith.
While he has played deaf to calls to lift the unfair wages cap since day one, stunts such as making offers to public sector workers through the media instead of in person is a shocking approach to industrial relations. It’s also simply disrespectful to Tasmania’s hard working public servants.
To make matters worse, an offer was given to public service workers a day late and five minutes before a media conference in what could only have been a cynical attempt to undermine unions representing public sector workers.
Minister Gutwein appears to be incapable of collaboration or negotiation. His approach to the Legislative Council, TasWater, Local Government, committees of Parliament and now unions has been open warfare when it should be dialogue.
The Treasurer seems incapable of understanding that we have a range of institutions, rules and traditions by which he is bound.
Executive governments in Australia don’t simply have free reign to do as they see fit. This point appears to be lost on the Tasmanian Liberals, including their Treasurer.
Minister Gutwein tries to bully and obfuscate to get his way, every time, and would perhaps be better suited to a authoritarian regime than a responsible democratic government.