Page 439 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 1993
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MR BERRY: It says:
Abolition of the Commission will save $18.5 million ... The savings from Departmental changes and from the closure of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission will not be expected until the second year. This will allow the first year savings from these decisions to be used for redundancy payments.
Mr Humphries: It does not say anything about Worksafe.
MR BERRY: No, it does not. Now I will go on to Worksafe. Worksafe, Madam Speaker, provides secretarial support and other administrative services to the Occupational Health and Safety Commission. It has a similar relationship to the Occupational Health and Safety Council in the ACT and our own Occupational Health and Safety Office. The Occupational Health and Safety Office implements the recommendations of the OH and S Council. So what we have is a situation where, when the parent body goes nationally, the rest goes too.
Mr Humphries: In whose opinion?
MR BERRY: In John Howard's opinion. The occupational health newsletter report on discussion with Mr Howard stated that he was not going to persist with Worksafe Australia; that he was going to have a small but powerful national coordinating body whose main role would be to ensure national consistency rather than uniformity. He said that virtually all Worksafe responsibility and functions would be devolved to the States. So what that means is that the Commonwealth would dump Worksafe, emasculate Worksafe, devolve it all to the States - - -
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Minister is blathering at the mouth.
MADAM SPEAKER: I do not believe that that is a point of order, Mr Humphries. Please continue, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Worksafe Australia will be dumped. The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission will be dumped. It is an important body that was to develop occupational health and safety standards across - - -
Mr Humphries: It does not say that we are going to abolish it.
MR BERRY: It says that it will be closed and $18.5m - - -
Mr Humphries: You are making it up.
MR BERRY: Who is the liar, Mr Humphries?
Mr De Domenico: On a point of order, Madam Speaker - - -
MR BERRY: I ask the question.
MADAM SPEAKER: It was a question, Mr De Domenico. I do not believe that it was a statement.
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