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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1765 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

The government and the Insurance Council of Australia both made mention in the course of the inquiry of the merits of such an approach, as did the CFMEU.

Mr Humphries: Cooperation.

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries interjects. I think his interjection is an attempt to debunk the CFMEU, as you would expect. The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union also made contributions freely to the committee process, in stark contrast to the government when asked for assistance in relation to certain matters.

In its submission to the committee at the 11th hour the government also raised problems with certain ILO standards. We were unable to consider the detail of those ILO standards because the government did not provide it in their submission and did not provide them before the last meeting of the committee.

The committee was also concerned about the proposal which is circulating to reduce the rights and benefits of injured workers, often some of the most disadvantaged in our community. The committee recommended that there be no reduction of these rights and benefits. There has been no case made out to reduce benefits in the ACT. It has long been an argument from particularly the employment side and the conservative side of politics that a reduction in benefits is an efficiency. We hear that often. Mr Speaker, the majority of the committee believe that this should not occur.

Mr Speaker, at this point, I would like to thank the committee's hardworking secretary, David Skinner. I would also like to thank those who took the time and effort to make submissions and appear to give evidence. I would like to thank the government for their submissions, albeit late ones, but I want to put on record my concern about the apparent lack of cooperation from the government. It was either deliberate or quite slack. Either way it has to be fixed up. Committees cannot be treated like that. Some reports I heard on ABC radio this morning in relation to this matter of the minister's performance were very concerning. Finally, I would like to thank my fellow committee members for putting the time aside from busy diaries to attend committee meetings and contribute to the process at a time of conflicting committee arrangements and Assembly arrangements. We as an Assembly and the community owe them thanks.

I will conclude there, Mr Speaker. I recommend that the government adopt this report in full in order that we can advance the cause of workers compensation in the ACT to the benefit of ordinary working people, all of whom are at risk of having their workers compensation entitlements affected, and also have a fairer system-a more level playing field, if you like-for employers who are placed at a disadvantage by a system which invites underreporting, among other things.

Mr Speaker, an employer in a particular industry who gains a commercial advantage over another employer in the same industry by virtue of underreporting wages and salaries and paying less in workers compensation premiums is therefore able to issue lower quotes for jobs in the community. That is an unfair commercial advantage which has to be stamped out. These measures will go a long way, we think, towards addressing that situation and levelling the playing field so far as employers are concerned.

Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth ) adjourned.

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