Key points
- The Employee Consultative Group is being reconstituted.
- Employees, other than employees of Independent Senators and Members, should expect to hear from their respective parties on the process for nomination and/or selection of both groups shortly.
- Employees of Independent Senators and Members may nominate themselves directly to the Department of Finance.
The Employee Consultative Group (ECG) for Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MOP(S) Act) employees is being reconstituted following the Federal election.
The ECG will consist of MOP(S) Act employees, union representatives, and representatives from my office and/or the Department of Finance.
Employee representatives will be drawn from all political parties on a proportional basis to employee numbers.
The ECG will consult on a broad range of workplace issues that pertain to MOP(S) Act employees.
The ECG will include 11 employee representatives consisting of:
- Five representatives for employees of Liberal Party of Australia Senators and Members;
- Three representatives for employees of Australian Labor Party Senators and Members;
- One representative for employees of The Nationals Senators and Members;
- One representative for employees of Australian Greens Senators and Members; and
- One representative for employees of Independent Senators and Members.
Eligibility of representatives
To be eligible to be an employee representative on the ECG, an employee must be:
- ongoing; or
- non-ongoing, working more than one day per week, have been employed for the preceding three months and will be employed for a further three months.
Each political party has been asked to make its own arrangements for the selection of their employee representatives. Employees, other than employees of Independent Senators and Members, should expect to hear from their respective parties on this process shortly.
Employees of Independent Senators and Members
Finance will provide assistance during the nomination and selection process for the representative of the employees of Independent Senators and Members. Eligible employees from this group are invited to email ecg@finance.gov.auto request an ECG nomination form. Nominations are to be submitted to Finance by 22 August 2019. Finance will then contact relevant employees regarding a ballot, if required.
Travel costs
Travel costs associated with ECG meetings for representatives whose travel is subject to the Electorate Support Budget (ESB), will not be debited from their employing Senator or Member’s ESB, providing the representative is not also travelling to Canberra for other purposes.
As there is no budget restriction on the travel of employees who are not subject to the ESB, there is no need for similar arrangements for these ECG members.
More information
I encourage all Senators and Members to support their employees who are considering being involved in the ECG.
If employees have any queries about the selection of representatives for the ECG, please contact your Ministerial and Parliamentary Services’ Advice and Support Director on the number below*.
Yours sincerely
Mathias Cormann
Minister for Finance
5 August 2019