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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (29 March) . . Page.. 1013 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

to 50 kilometres per hour. The evidence well and truly supports the fact that this step will reduce road trauma and road injury, and increase amenity for people living in our city.

This is about addressing the imbalance between the rights of people using cars and the rights of everyone else who shares the streets with them. As we know well, the people who are most vulnerable are the aged and young people. I would really hope that we see the Government shift on that issue in this Assembly.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MR BERRY (11.31): I present the Occupational Health and Safety (Amendment) Bill 2000.

Title read by Clerk.

MR BERRY: I move:

This Bill builds on legislation passed by the Assembly last year, a Bill which established the WorkCover commissioner, the Occupational Health and Safety Commissioner, and set out to give him or her independence from the whims of government. At that time it was believed this would ensure that WorkCover could undertake its duties without interference.

Members will recall the rather gross levels of interference which were documented during the inquest into the death of Katie Bender, which occurred, as members will no doubt sadly recall, as a result of the demolition implosion of the old Canberra Hospital. During that debate the political interference was further documented and made public when the then Minister for Urban Services arranged for his staff to be involved in workplace negotiations between WorkCover inspectors and the contractors who were working on the premises at the time. This was an appalling set of circumstances which would drive anybody to the conclusion that something important needed to be done to ensure the independence of this authority.

Mr Speaker, workplace safety is one of the most important issues citizens have to face each day as they travel to and from work and as they carry out their work in the community, whether it be in the public or private sector. It is extremely important that the occupational health and safety function be carried out in a regime which is completely independent of government influence such as that that has been documented in the past. It is not only important for that to happen. It also has to be seen to be happening in a very clear and concise way. That is what I set out to do in my legislation.

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