Senator FAULKNER —A suggestion is made in the PBS that renegotiation is expected to commence shortly in relation to the certified agreement in light of experiences with the current agreement. Briefly, what have those experiences with the current agreement been?

Mr Evans —We have not had extensive experience with the current agreement, because it has not been going all that long. This is in anticipation that some things may need to be reconsidered or renegotiated.

Senator FAULKNER —If you go to the final paragraph of part 2 on page 4, you will see that it states:

Before the end of 1998-99, the department will have begun to renegotiate its certified agreement with staff in the light of experiences with the current agreement which expires on 30 June 1999.

Effectively, there is not a great deal of experience to fall back on; is that what you are saying?

Mr Evans —That is right. That is an anticipation of something that we expect may happen in the coming year.

Senator FAULKNER —Do you have anything in mind in terms of ascertaining the views of staff and management? How were you planning to ascertain what the views are in relation to the current agreement?

Mr Evans —The current agreement is the result of an intensive consultative process and it reflects a very high level of agreement amongst staff that those arrangements are the appropriate ones. As a result of that process there is a lot of data there already about what staff and management think about the current arrangements, and that consultative process will go on.

Senator FAULKNER —Yes, but how will it go on? You are talking here in the PBS about `in light of these experiences'. All I am really asking you is how you will get a handle on what these experiences might be.

Mr Evans —By the consultative mechanisms that are in place and continually operate. I can get Mr O'Keeffe to describe those to you if you wish.

Mr O'Keeffe —The certified agreement provides for the creation of a workplace relations committee, which is a continuation of the committee that negotiated the certified agreement. On that committee staff and management are represented, and that is where views will be exchanged and consultations had about our experiences over the next year in relation to our current certified agreement, with a view to beginning renegotiation of the second one around March or April next year.

Senator FAULKNER —Can you give the committee any preliminary advice as to possible changes to the agreement that might be proposed for the next round?

Mr O'Keeffe —It is very hard to predict things like that and I would not want to commit myself. The certified agreement was agreed to by over 90 per cent of the staff who voted for it. Management and staff set out to obtain as high a level of agreement as possible about our collective terms and conditions and I would believe that we will attempt to do that in relation to our next agreement. But in terms of actual pay rises or conditions, it is really very difficult to predict. In a sense, everything is up for negotiation within that kind of philosophy.

CHAIR —As there are no further questions on this program, we move to program 6.

[9.44 a.m.]