Page 2641 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 October 1992
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Mrs Carnell misled this Assembly yesterday when she said:
The vast percentage of those happened on the way to work or on the way home, and therefore would not be covered.
She got caught, because she was then forced to table the document. There were 30 accidents recorded on the piece of paper, and there were four - - -
Mrs Carnell: I did not say "motor vehicle". I said "on the way to work or on the way home".
MR BERRY: You said:
The vast percentage of those happened on the way to work or on the way home, and therefore would not be covered.
We have here, "Motor vehicle accident on way to work", "Motor vehicle on way home from work", "Motor vehicle accident on way to work", "Worker had bad fall on way to work".
Mrs Carnell: What about the ones that were not motor vehicle accidents? What about the people who sprain their ankle at the bus stop?
MR BERRY: No, we are talking about travel injuries, are we not?
Mrs Carnell: I did not say that. I said "on the way to work or on the way home".
MR BERRY: They are travel injuries.
Mrs Carnell: But I did not say "travel injuries". I said "on the way to work or on the way home".
MR BERRY: They are travel injuries, in work terms. "Motor vehicle accident on way to work" - is that one of them? "Motor vehicle on way home from work" - that is one of them. "Worker had bad fall on way to work" - that is one of them. That is three. "Motor vehicle accident on way to work" - No. 4. Those are the only four.
Mrs Carnell: Do you know that for a fact?
MR BERRY: You said it. You waved the piece of paper around. You said, "The vast percentage of those happened on the way to work or on the way home". Your piece of paper said four. There are 30 on it. I say that you misled the house. This just shows how ridiculous the argument in relation to this matter has been.
This proposal is put forward to improve the lot of workers and businesses in the Australian Capital Territory. It will ensure from the outset that we have a safer workplace, that we will not have bereaved families at home because workers have been killed, that we reduce the number of injuries in the workplace, that we reduce the impact on our health system, and that we make businesses more profitable. The amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out to do that. It is a piece of legislation about which there have been no secrets. It has been on the agenda for a long time.
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