June edition - The Police Association Victoria

SECRETARY’S MESSAGE
Police Association to make
submissions to Rush Inquiry
In years gone by there would have
been uproar from police officers had
a government in this state announced
an inquiry, by a lawyer, to be conducted
into the police force.
This time, there has not been one single
complaint to the Police Association from
any of our members; there has not been
a flurry of ‘letters to the editor’ in the daily
newspapers and there has been stony silence
from police officers on talk-back radio.
Sadly, this lack of outcry appears to signal
disenchantment with the direction in which
the force has been, and is being, taken. At
best, it is an apathetic response which would
not have been witnessed too many years ago.
Either way, best or worse case scenario,
it is an indictment on policing in Victoria
that we have been allowed to come to
this. Time will tell whether Jack Rush QC
agrees or disagrees with the views
of the membership.
We have confidence in Mr. Rush, whose
abilities were witnessed during the Victorian
Bushfires Royal Commission. We are yet,
however, to see any terms of reference for
this inquiry and what format the inquiry will
follow. Both issues will impact significantly
on the inquiry and how your genuine views
are provided.
It is our absolute intention to make a
submission to Mr. Rush. Members who
have legitimate concerns, which fall within
the Terms of Reference, will be given the
opportunity to have those issues included
in our submission.
Update on EBA negotiations
By the time of printing we will be in,
or very close to, a period of protected
industrial action.
The travesty in this situation is well known
to members: we saw the last election largely
won on law and order issues and we now
have a government who loudly promised to
fix the law and order problems of this state.
Unfortunately, we also have a government
who thinks that you will implement all of
their policies, make them work and return
them to government at the next election,
while they hand you wage cuts.
We believed we could transition from the
current Agreement into a new one with little
or no fuss, with good faith bargaining and
the political will of our government.
Sadly, that hope has proven to be as empty
as a politician’s promise.
So now we find ourselves in familiar territory
− an intransigent government, full of ‘razor
gang’ advisors − our absolutely justifiable
wages claim − and nowhere to go other than
industrial action.
GREG DAVIES > SECRETARY
The pity in all of this is that government
could have avoided it. The magical
2.5 per cent figure, dreamed up by
an uncaring and naïve bureaucrat from
within the halls of power, was never going
to be realistic. Today it is even less realistic
than when it was first touted.
"We’ll take care of inflation in the
first instance" were the words of the
So now we find ourselves in familiar territory
− an intransigent government, full of ‘razor
gang’ advisors − our absolutely justifiable
wages claim − and nowhere to go other than
industrial action.
(now) Premier. Well the ABS says that
inflation in melbourne is 3.5 per cent −
so this government wants a punch-up
with its police force over a 1 per cent
wages outcome − it defies logic and belief
and it paves the way for ongoing industrial
unrest with other Public Sector Unions
for the next year or so.
All for 1 per cent.
As the late Bobby Davis might have said,
"Fair dinkum unbelievable."
The Police Association Victoria Journal June 2011
05