Division
Doug Cameron Minister, your interview with Mr David Speers on Sky News was generally described as an excruciating train wreck. Can you explain to the Senate what you could not explain to David Speers and take us to specific clauses in the UFU agreement which could result in the destruction of the CFA. Michaelia Cash Senator Cameron, I am sure you are aware that Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria have prepared a substantial document going through, on a clause-by-clause basis, what they say will be the impact on the CFA of the proposed clauses. So there is that document. I believe it would have been part of the Senate committee's documents. The committee would have already seen that document. I can take you through some of the clauses that have been raised as being of particular concern to Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria. For example, clause 21 sets out the extensive consensus based consultation process required under the agreement. The clause's operation means that in conjunction with, for example, clause 41 all current CFA policies will be reviewed and only remade through a process where union consensus is required. In terms of evidence given in particular to the recent Senate committee that inquired into the bill, volunteers questioned why the proposed agreement's consultation term gives the union a veto power over changes under the agreement, including policies directly relevant to volunteers. I will take you through a number of other clauses shortly, but I will just take a step back. The first question one needs to ask is: what is an enterprise agreement and to whom does an enterprise agreement apply? I am sure you would be aware, Senator Cameron, that an enterprise agreement is an agreement that deals with the terms and conditions of the employees to which the enterprise agreement is relevant. Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria have obviously raised concerns about the impact of clauses in the agreement on the volunteers. I will take you now to clause 44. Clause 44
Senate, 2016-10-10. affirmative: ayes 37, noes 31.
Question
Doug Cameron Minister, your interview with Mr David Speers on Sky News was generally described as an excruciating train wreck. Can you explain to the Senate what you could not explain to David Speers and take us to specific clauses in the UFU agreement which could result in the destruction of the CFA. Michaelia Cash Senator Cameron, I am sure you are aware that Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria have prepared a substantial document going through, on a clause-by-clause basis, what they say will be the impact on the CFA of the proposed clauses. So there is that document. I believe it would have been part of the Senate committee's documents. The committee would have already seen that document. I can take you through some of the clauses that have been raised as being of particular concern to Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria. For example, clause 21 sets out the extensive consensus based consultation process required under the agreement. The clause's operation means that in conjunction with, for example, clause 41 all current CFA policies will be reviewed and only remade through a process where union consensus is required. In terms of evidence given in particular to the recent Senate committee that inquired into the bill, volunteers questioned why the proposed agreement's consultation term gives the union a veto power over changes under the agreement, including policies directly relevant to volunteers. I will take you through a number of other clauses shortly, but I will just take a step back. The first question one needs to ask is: what is an enterprise agreement and to whom does an enterprise agreement apply? I am sure you would be aware, Senator Cameron, that an enterprise agreement is an agreement that deals with the terms and conditions of the employees to which the enterprise agreement is relevant. Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria have obviously raised concerns about the impact of clauses in the agreement on the volunteers. I will take you now to clause 44. Clause 44
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