Latest news with #NSWTreasury
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
These two men want an extra hurdle for sexual harassment claims. It will cost millions
The push by the NSW Liberals and rogue MP Mark Latham to introduce an extra test for sexual harassment claims would remove all types of bullying from workers' compensation and put more financial pressure on struggling schemes, an analysis for NSW Treasury shows. Liberal upper house leader Damien Tudehope and Latham have jointly written amendments to the government's workers' compensation bill, proposing changes to the definition of sexual harassment as well as axing claims made for excessive work demands and vicarious trauma. The move has heaped pressure on the Liberals for teaming up with Latham, who has been accused of domestic violence against his ex-partner, which he emphatically denies, as well as inappropriate workplace behaviour, including taking photos of female MPs. He has apologised to the women. Under the Tudehope-Latham amendments, a person who makes a sexual advance towards a colleague would need to have known, or should have known, that the advance was unwelcome. Treasury secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter asked the state insurer icare, on behalf of Tudehope, to prepare costings for the amendments. Analysis shows that the private sector scheme, known as the nominal insurer, would be almost $800 million worse off under the pair's proposed changes. The costings, which have been provided to Tudehope, show that the government bill would save the nominal insurer between $4.31 billion and $4.41 billion over the four years to 2029, while the amendments would lead to smaller savings of between $3.53 billion and $3.63 billion. Loading Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has insisted that changes to the definition of sexual harassment would still protect workers from 'ignorant bigots' but wouldn't necessarily allow employees to claim compensation if a colleague 'makes a pass' at them. However, the analysis from icare said the 'amendments will require intent of the perpetrator to harm to be established by an injured worker before compensation for a primary psychological injury caused by bullying, racial and sexual harassment may be paid'.
The Age
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
These two men want an extra hurdle for sexual harassment claims. It will cost millions
The push by the NSW Liberals and rogue MP Mark Latham to introduce an extra test for sexual harassment claims would remove all types of bullying from workers' compensation and put more financial pressure on struggling schemes, an analysis for NSW Treasury shows. Liberal upper house leader Damien Tudehope and Latham have jointly written amendments to the government's workers' compensation bill, proposing changes to the definition of sexual harassment as well as axing claims made for excessive work demands and vicarious trauma. The move has heaped pressure on the Liberals for teaming up with Latham, who has been accused of domestic violence against his ex-partner, which he emphatically denies, as well as inappropriate workplace behaviour, including taking photos of female MPs. He has apologised to the women. Under the Tudehope-Latham amendments, a person who makes a sexual advance towards a colleague would need to have known, or should have known, that the advance was unwelcome. Treasury secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter asked the state insurer icare, on behalf of Tudehope, to prepare costings for the amendments. Analysis shows that the private sector scheme, known as the nominal insurer, would be almost $800 million worse off under the pair's proposed changes. The costings, which have been provided to Tudehope, show that the government bill would save the nominal insurer between $4.31 billion and $4.41 billion over the four years to 2029, while the amendments would lead to smaller savings of between $3.53 billion and $3.63 billion. Loading Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has insisted that changes to the definition of sexual harassment would still protect workers from 'ignorant bigots' but wouldn't necessarily allow employees to claim compensation if a colleague 'makes a pass' at them. However, the analysis from icare said the 'amendments will require intent of the perpetrator to harm to be established by an injured worker before compensation for a primary psychological injury caused by bullying, racial and sexual harassment may be paid'.
Sky News AU
27-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
NSW Premier Chris Minns and state MPs to receive sizable wage hike as pay freeze draws to a close
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns is set to see his salary surge as a government pay freeze to public sector wages draws to a close. It was revealed on Saturday the NSW government had made a submission to the Parliamentary Remunerations Tribunal requesting for the pay packets of state MPs and senior bureaucrats to be raised by 3.5 per cent, including superannuation benefits. The wage increase is in line with the base pay offer made to the general public sector workforce in the NSW budget, which was handed down on Tuesday. The change would see Mr Minns' salary increase to $431,015, up by $14,575. The Premier however would still be earning far less than his interstate counterparts, with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan raking in a whopping $498,031. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman could also see his earnings surge to $326,867, up from $315,814. The controversial public sector wage freeze was pursued by the Minns government in July 2023 due to complex budget pressures, with NSW Treasury at the time estimating the policy would save taxpayers around $260 million. It is understood that those savings have since been banked, with the government choosing not to extend the wage moratorium. The move comes just months after federal politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese received a 2.4 per cent wage increase. However, while the Prime Minister will see his salary balloon by $15,000 to $622,050, he would still not be earning as much as Band 4 department chiefs around the nation who rake in an annual salary of up to $671,947. The combined salaries of top executives at various NSW government departments, agencies and state-owned corporations had soared to an unsustainable $1 billion a year when the freeze was first introduced. The state government also faced a number of wage claims after Mr Minns revoked a 2.5 per cent public sector cap to wages implemented by the former Coalition government. These caps encompassed nurses, police officers, teachers, and other frontline workers. Following an Industrial Relations Commission recommendation, NSW nurses were awarded a 4 per cent pay bump in 2023 and an additional 3 per cent rise in 2024. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association general secretary Shaye Candish slammed the NSW governments submission to the Remuneration Tribunal and said the state's nurses were just as deserving as politicians. 'It's pretty tone deaf to leave the state's biggest female-dominated workforce out in the cold, while taking steps to facilitate a pay rise for themselves,' she told The Daily Telegraph.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
The unholy alliance against new laws that ‘disproportionately' impact women
'The NSW government is arguably the single largest employer of women in the country. Women make up over 60 per cent of the state's public sector workforce, and nurses and midwives are the single largest work group,' Candish said. 'We are calling on the government to confirm whether a gender impact assessment has been conducted on the proposed reform and, if not, urgently require that [such an assessment] be carried out.' NSW Treasury guidelines state all 'government agencies are required to prepare gender impact assessments for new policy proposals'. 'This recognises the important role the NSW government plays in ensuring the needs of all genders are understood and addressed in the development of public policy,' the guidelines say. Meanwhile, the NSW Teachers Federation says it is 'women members who will suffer the most from these changes' in a system already burdened with burnout and 'skyrocketing resignation rates'. 'The federation cannot ignore the evidence that the NSW treasurer's attack on mental health support is gendered. Of the federation's approximately 60,000 members, 80 per cent are women,' the federation said in a submission to the inquiry. There has been widespread opposition to the proposed overhaul, although it has won support from the state's business lobby. Business NSW chief Daniel Hunter has described workers' compensation as 'out of control' and claimed workers were abusing the scheme by lodging claims over 'low-level workplace disputes and underperformance'. Despite the opposition to the changes, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has repeatedly stressed that the government has so far only released an exposure bill and would take on board the findings of the one-day inquiry, which heard from almost 40 witnesses. 'The state needs to make a decisive shift towards fostering a culture of prevention,' Mookhey told the inquiry. 'Us parliamentarians need to lead it.' 'Ultimately, the best workers' compensation scheme is one no one ever needs to use. Until that is possible, I urge parliament to act to save the scheme we have and fight to stop people from being injured in the first place.' Mental health compensation claims have doubled in the past six years, placing financial pressure on the state's nominal insurer, icare. This will push insurance premiums up by 36 per cent over the three years from 2026, the government says. Loading The government says the changes, which would also lift the level of Whole Person Impairment needed to claim lump sum damages from employers for psychological injuries from 15 to 30 per cent, are critical due to the rising number of mental health claims and falling return-to-work rates. The inquiry's 700-page report, tabled late on Friday, makes no specific recommendations other than to urge the 'government take note of the evidence received throughout the course of the inquiry when preparing the final bill(s).'
The Age
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
The unholy alliance against new laws that ‘disproportionately' impact women
'The NSW government is arguably the single largest employer of women in the country. Women make up over 60 per cent of the state's public sector workforce, and nurses and midwives are the single largest work group,' Candish said. 'We are calling on the government to confirm whether a gender impact assessment has been conducted on the proposed reform and, if not, urgently require that [such an assessment] be carried out.' NSW Treasury guidelines state all 'government agencies are required to prepare gender impact assessments for new policy proposals'. 'This recognises the important role the NSW government plays in ensuring the needs of all genders are understood and addressed in the development of public policy,' the guidelines say. Meanwhile, the NSW Teachers Federation says it is 'women members who will suffer the most from these changes' in a system already burdened with burnout and 'skyrocketing resignation rates'. 'The federation cannot ignore the evidence that the NSW treasurer's attack on mental health support is gendered. Of the federation's approximately 60,000 members, 80 per cent are women,' the federation said in a submission to the inquiry. There has been widespread opposition to the proposed overhaul, although it has won support from the state's business lobby. Business NSW chief Daniel Hunter has described workers' compensation as 'out of control' and claimed workers were abusing the scheme by lodging claims over 'low-level workplace disputes and underperformance'. Despite the opposition to the changes, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has repeatedly stressed that the government has so far only released an exposure bill and would take on board the findings of the one-day inquiry, which heard from almost 40 witnesses. 'The state needs to make a decisive shift towards fostering a culture of prevention,' Mookhey told the inquiry. 'Us parliamentarians need to lead it.' 'Ultimately, the best workers' compensation scheme is one no one ever needs to use. Until that is possible, I urge parliament to act to save the scheme we have and fight to stop people from being injured in the first place.' Mental health compensation claims have doubled in the past six years, placing financial pressure on the state's nominal insurer, icare. This will push insurance premiums up by 36 per cent over the three years from 2026, the government says. Loading The government says the changes, which would also lift the level of Whole Person Impairment needed to claim lump sum damages from employers for psychological injuries from 15 to 30 per cent, are critical due to the rising number of mental health claims and falling return-to-work rates. The inquiry's 700-page report, tabled late on Friday, makes no specific recommendations other than to urge the 'government take note of the evidence received throughout the course of the inquiry when preparing the final bill(s).'
