Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 904 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

As I indicated when introducing the amendment Bill, the Government is about small, cost-efficient government. The approach of further extending the role of an existing body to cover the additional function is a responsible move and is preferable to creating a separate new statutory authority with all its incumbent costs. Mr Speaker and members of the Assembly, this amendment will provide the Government with the means to ensure that the scrutiny of workers compensation and related matters is evenly applied to both the private and public sectors. It will formalise the arrangements for the Occupational Health and Safety Council to advise the Minister on these matters. It will ensure that we take hold of the issues that must be managed in public sector workers compensation and do not allow responsibility to be shifted away from where it must be managed.

In commending the amendment to the Assembly, I thank Mr Berry, in particular, because it was Mr Berry's brainchild, I suppose, and his fear of the attitude of conservative governments, as he called it, to workers and workers compensation that made the Government decide to say, "Listen, we were going to legislate anyway". But we must thank Mr Berry for planting the seed in our mind to make sure that we did it properly and got together. Mr Berry has agreed to it, so I thank Mr Berry for his cooperation. I thank Mr Moore and Mr Hird, the other members of the committee, for their deliberations. I commend the amendment to the Assembly.

Amendment agreed to.

Bill, as a whole, as amended, agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Debate resumed from 17 October 1995, on motion by Mr De Domenico:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .