48 Jobs Disgrace

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Industrial Relations

Media Statement - 25 May 2001

The revelation that the ACT Government has conceded to fill 48 vacancies in the ACT Fire Brigade is an indictment of its inability to manage important emergency services Labor Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Wayne Berry said today.

Mr Berry's announcement follows evidence given to the Estimates Committee that the ACT Fire Brigade would be recruiting 48 firefighters over the next 15 months.

"This is another example of the government being forced into action in the lead up to the ACT Legislative Assembly election in October," Mr Berry said.

"The down side is that the government has allowed the ACT Fire Brigade to run down by a massive 16% over years of inaction and it will take another 15 months to restore the Brigade to full operational staffing.

"On top of this, Fire brigade personnel are working massive amounts of overtime and are being denied access to leave because of the government's failure to fill these positions.

"Job advertisements are falling and unemployment is rising in the ACT and all the while the ACT Government is sitting on 48 empty jobs. Only the forthcoming election and embarrassment forced them out into the open," Mr Berry concluded.