Page 254 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 1990
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MR WOOD: Yes, but that is for school classes. A class size of 20 is a good number, but we are talking about occupational health and safety. I am pleased that Mr Duby expressed his support. It may be that in due course the Government will recall the vote Mr Duby made in this house on that number, so that more people will be able to avail themselves of the protection that is offered through these work-based committees.
Mr Duby made a great deal of other comment about the work that the Government is doing towards occupational health and safety. I know that they were policies introduced and begun by Mr Whalan, and I am pleased to see that they are being continued. But let us get the wider coverage, the full emphasis, the full support that making more of these work-based committees would provide for us.
MR BERRY (5.16): This debate has demonstrated one of the greatest turnarounds - well, it might not be the greatest one, but I suppose it joins with the other turnarounds that we have experienced in the last two or three months. I think the saddest thing about this is that Mr Duby has been spirited away from the contention that workers should be protected to a position where any further moves to protect workers should be put off.
We know that the political position in the Rally/Liberal/No Self Government Alliance collegiate Government is somewhat softened by the involvement of the Liberal Party and the people who assisted all of those opposite to stitch together the tory Government opposite. On the tory issue, Mr Collaery, we spell it T-h-a-t-c-h-e-r.
Mr Stefaniak: She is a wonderful lady.
MR BERRY: I expect that from you, Mr Stefaniak. The position in relation to this legislation is that the Government opposite has sought to delay the additional protection proposed by the Labor Party for workers in the Territory. It merely goes on with mealy-mouthed rhetoric about increased support, and we all know the time and trouble that went into a long and involved inquiry into the matter by a committee of this Assembly. Mr Stefaniak has just said that 20 is a good number, and there is no doubt that the conservative influence amongst the tories opposite will still seek to prevent increased protection.
Mr Collaery: I rise on a point of order. Mr Speaker, I object to the term tory. The term tory according to the World Book Encyclopaedia - this is for Mrs Grassby's information - is a term that came from a Gaelic word meaning pursued or pursued man and was used in the mid-1600s to mean an Irish outlaw. There are no Irish outlaws here.
MR SPEAKER: That was not a valid point of order. Please proceed, Mr Berry.
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