Dan Andrews

rusty nails wrote: Perspective is a funny thing. Nothing to see, as far as I�m concerned. An unnamed employee, makes vague complaints, that system errors have had an non specific negative impact on collecting bad debts. Cmon, let�s be fair dinkum! And they stood the guy down. I think you will find, the with full pay bit, is part of the process. Not a political decision by the ruling government. If that�s your list of grievances, life is good, and he�ll be Premier for the rest of your life...

Andrew Greaves

Just what more can the Andrews government stuff up.? Now it has come to light 43% of public servants have refused to return to work despite being ordered back to the office more than a month ago.

It has been revealed that  just 57 per cent of the 50,000-strong public service are back in the office despite the government ordering them back at least three days a week.

It can also be revealed they are still being paid a generous working-from -home allowance that is tipped to have cost taxpayers at least $50m since the beginning of the pandemic.

But senior government sources have confirmed the payouts are now under review, and if axed could encourage workers to get back behind their desks. The bonus allowances were introduced in March 2020 and available to all public servants required to work from home.

They received a one-off payment of $100 for home office expenses and an extra $20 every week for home office consumables and utilities.

Staff could also claim taxi fares to take bulky office items home, including chairs or computer monitors, instead of using public transport.

The state government has refused to detail how much it has spent on the allowances since it was introduced.

However Freedom of Information documents obtained by the state opposition have revealed the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions had paid out more than $2.8m, and the Department of Treasury and Finance almost $600,000.

All permanent or fixed-term staff and casual employees required to work from home were entitled to the allowance.

Official data shows there were 50,474 employees working in the Victorian Public Service as at June 2020.

Public servants also locked in a lucrative pay rise amid last year�s lockdowns, with a new four-year deal.

It included annual pay increases, a new mobility payment, increased overtime rates and night shift allowances, and more parental leave.

The pay rise for public servants came despite a pay freeze in other state jurisdictions. Only in Victoria , during the 112 day lockdown, did public servants press ahead with wage increases.

A Department of Premier and Cabinet spokesman said 57 per cent of all public servants had returned to their original work premises, and staff were being �encouraged� to return to work premises �while balancing flexible work options�.

Is it any wonder central Melbourne is dying when ,with the support of public sector unions ,they refuse to return to work. 

Sadly you might be right, what with all those public servants staying at home and getting pay rises together with no criticism by The Age and the ABC, Andrews is getting a rails run like George Moore did in the 1950�s and 1960�s when he rode in Sydney, the only difference of course was that George blew his whistle to get those rail runs whereas that media in Victoria will not blow the whistle to expose the incompetent Andrews government.

...open mind...

Eh?

Fun fact: The Australian Treasurer who presided over the 99 year lease of the Port of Darwin to a Chinese company was: Scott Morrison. He of course blames everyone else.

Passing Through wrote: Fun fact: The Australian Treasurer who presided over the 99 year lease of the Port of Darwin to a Chinese company was: Scott Morrison. He of course blames everyone else. But during a visit to Darwin on Wednesday, Mr Morrison defended his handling of the port deal, saying it was the sole responsibility of the former Territory government. "It was not a lease that was approved by the federal government, it was not, that was not something that was subject to federal laws at that time," Mr Morrison said. "And, indeed, as treasurer, I made sure that in the future that such transactions would be subject to federal approvals." The Prime Minister said if any adverse assessments were made by security agencies, he would respond as necessary. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-28/darwin-port-lease-no-security-concerns-raised-scott-morrison/100101724

Passing Through wrote: It was just a fun fact Bobby, something to break the monotony.

Just keep quoting the ABC, that puts you in their corner. Just think, it costs taxpayers $1 billion a year.

• Here are the latest revelations on the stuffups  hotel quarantine under the oversee of  the  Andrews government:
• Outside air running into the Park Royal Hotel at Melbourne Airport � hit by an outbreak in January � was switched off every night for 10 to 14 hours to �save �energy�, leading to stuffy �conditions and a build-up of �contaminants, including viral particles, in rooms overnight. When uncovered by government investigators in February, they recommended the shutdowns �cease immediately�, warning that turning off airflow systems overnight �may pose a transmission hazard� when quarantine residents opened their doors to collect breakfast.
• The provision of general �infection prevention and control training was limited. IPC officers interviewed by government �investigators had a health background but not necessarily any practical infection prevention experience or postgraduate qualifications. At the Park Royal, processes to manage IPC risks were not well developed.
• Dirty crockery, bags of rubbish, and �visibly unclean� carpet were found in a hotel corridor by government officials during the Park Royal site visit. Workers told them there was often a delay in rubbish being collected, leading to smells from dirty nappies and food waste.
• Residential support officers stationed on hotel floors complained of boredom and sleepiness, with the government report finding the corridors were warm �amplifying their sleepiness�.
• Quarantine staff in hotel red zones were required to follow a complex personal protective equipment �matrix� in conflict with Health Department guidance, leading to staff repeatedly walking between red and green zones. Transferring a quarantine resident to a health hotel or hospital could involve up to 17 roles across six agencies while crossover of staff increased the risk that �movement of air, people and objects may result in cross-contamination or transmission through proximity or contact�.
• Hotel quarantine staff rated the Victorian Health Department�s response following COVID outbreaks at three Melbourne hotels this year as a fail.

Bob's paper boy apparently tossed his Herald Sun way off rather than close to his doorstep.

*drives past.