Member for Roe Peter Rundle has said that the Minister for Transport has merely paid lip service to Southern Ports Authority Port of Esperance employees following today’s resignation of SPA Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Rundle questioned the Minister for Transport in Question Time today, asking what assurances the Minister could provide that this change in leadership will not disrupt efforts to secure new clients in Esperance.
“SPA staff in Esperance currently face huge uncertainty, and are experiencing poor workplace culture,” Mr Rundle said.
“The Minister said that the CEO’s resignation won’t have an impact in relation to current negotiations seeking new trade and clients for the Esperance Port, but I’m concerned that these are hollow words.”
“If the Minister was serious about alleviating the concerns of SPA staff, she would have made a commitment to visiting Esperance.”
When asked when she will visit distressed Esperance based Southern Ports employees to discuss all of these important issues, the Minister failed to make a commitment. Mr Rundle said that this simply wasn’t good enough.
“Once again I asked the Minister when she would travel to Esperance to meet with SPA employees, who are facing another challenge as the organisation commences recruitment for a new CEO, and once again she failed to make a commitment,” Mr Rundle said.
“I can’t understand why she continues to show such disdain to the employees of SPA Esperance, and it’s incredibly disappointing that she continues to refuse to meet with them.
Staff from SPA Ports of Esperance and Albany raised their concerns during the post-amalgamation review, however the Government failed to deal with them.
“The Government claimed that these concerns were ‘outside the scope of the review’, but these are very serious claims and I’m disappointed the Government aren’t giving them the attention they deserve.
“I’m afraid that today’s comments were more lip service to people who are genuinely in distress and are seeking some reassurances from the Minister.”
Mr Rundle said that he hoped that this opportunity would provide a clean slate for SPA’s workplace culture.
“I think that this is a chance for the board and new CEO to work together to rebuild a positive workplace for SPA.”
