Page 3434 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 11 October 1994
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MR BERRY (Manager of Government Business) (8.34): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this important piece of legislation. The most important feature that we need to focus on is the rehabilitation issue. Whilst other issues concerning termination and so on have been the subject of debate for as long as I can remember, the occupational rehabilitation arrangements that will flow from these amendments are, in effect, more important for working people in the community, because they form part of that overall commitment by Labor that, in the first place, every effort is made to ensure - if I can use this term - that workers come home from work in the same condition as they left to go to work; and, in the event of a mishap, there is an obligation on employers and workers to be involved in a rehabilitation process which, in the end, makes sure, as far as possible, that workers are rehabilitated and able to live a normal life, irrespective of the extent of their injuries.
Perfection will be difficult, but it has to be considered against the background of the earlier legislation on workplace safety which was introduced into this Assembly. I think it was the first Bill that was introduced into this Assembly. That was the workplace safety legislation, which was introduced by Labor. We struggled to strengthen that through 1989. Eventually it was strengthened in 1991, when Labor came back into office. It is this longstanding commitment to workplace safety and better conditions for workers which I think will stand out in this first six years of self-government in the Australian Capital Territory. I said on radio this morning that it ought to be remembered as one of the gems, because, as a package, it will mean a lot to workers in the immediate future and in the long-term future. I trust that self-government will be thanked for this, among many other issues. This one stands out in terms of issues that relate to working-class people in the community.
The few words that I would like to say on this matter go to that fundamental issue of workplace safety and rehabilitation where all other efforts have failed to guarantee the safety of injured workers. It clearly demonstrates that this Government has a longstanding and everlasting commitment to improve the conditions which workers experience in the workplace. You can be assured that Labor will continue with that commitment while it is involved in politics, and I can assure members that that will be for a very long time. We expect that we will be in government for a very long time and will be able to move very quickly to ensure that, where changes are necessary, they occur very quickly.
I expect that this Bill will pass through this Assembly in a condition which will assist workers in the workplace. I congratulate those members who support those very important features of it. I congratulate the Minister for ensuring that it came before the chamber. All the effort that he has put into it has resulted in legislation which will, at last, comprise almost all of the package which forms that safety net, if you like, for workers in the workplace.
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