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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 900 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

In the past the workers compensation arrangements were considered by a monitoring committee which reported to the Government from time to time, but it was a government of a different flavour which had a different attitude to workers compensation and a different attitude to workers' industrial rights. It was therefore necessary, in the view of the Labor Party, to ensure that, wherever possible, these arrangements were strengthened to ensure that workers compensation benefits did not come under any attack.

I think the need for that reinforcement by legislative means is shown up in the Minister's speech. The Minister refers to the Industry Commission's report on workers compensation in Australia. The Industry Commission's position on a whole range of issues is not something that all of us in this place would support. I suspect that there would be more support for much of the Industry Commission's recent reports from the conservative side of politics. The commission did make some comments about the lack of uniformity between the States on workers compensation and occupation rehabilitation arrangements. The problem for the ACT on that issue is that it sends a signal that we are heading for a lowest common denominator in terms of the benefits which apply in respect of workers compensation.

In the past there have been concerns about the rise in costs of workers compensation in many places throughout Australia. There have been great difficulties with workers compensation arrangements. The introduction of these arrangements was supposed to have streamlined workers compensation and made them less costly and more effective in other States. I do not think that has been proven to be the case; but the workers compensation and occupation rehabilitation arrangements in the ACT, I think, have worked fairly smoothly, although there have been some calls in the past for changes to the way that workers compensation is paid, particularly in respect of common law benefits and so on. There have been changes as well, in consultation with the trade union movement, in particular to termination benefits which were a direct result of consultation with the Workers' Compensation Monitoring Committee.

As I understand it, the Government, when considering the Workers' Compensation (Amendment) Bill, decided to make the same provisions in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Their argument was that it would rule out an area of duplication. I have no difficulty with their argument; it is an issue that I have raised with unions which are involved in the consultation process. In the early stages, there was a concern about the workload on members who might be attending to occupational health and safety matters. I have discussed that with Mr De Domenico's office. I am now informed that an arrangement has been endorsed by the Occupational Health and Safety Council whereby a working party can be formed to deal with workers compensation matters. I think that resolves the situation. Therefore, I have no doubt about the effect that this amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act will have. I am sure that the outcomes will be positive.

For all those reasons, Mr Speaker, Labor will be supporting the amendment which has been put forward by the Government. I would like to thank the Minister and his office for the work that they put into consulting with Labor on the issue. I am pleased to see that it has been satisfactorily resolved.

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