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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (27 November) . . Page.. 4849 ..

MR PRATT (continuing):

the ACT, the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Housing Industry Association.

The headline of the media release from the chamber of commerce, 99 per cent of whose members opposed the legislation, was: "Chamber concerned at government's industrial manslaughter proposal."The headline of the media release from the HIA was: "No need for industrial manslaughter legislation."I have copies of those available to me, if the minister would like to look at them. Obviously the government did not consider them when they were first issued in December last year.

I heard the minister say on radio that she had significant support from the business community, in particular the building industry. There is something wrong with that statement because we have continually spoken to the broad business community, especially the MBA and the HIA, and they will not have a bar of this amending bill. I have here a list of the organisations which do not support this unacceptable and unnecessary bill. This list was received by me at 10.15 am today. Of course, the government has to give to the ACT community a false impression of the size of the support that it thinks that it has in order to sell this draconian legislation. I have here a list of 39 ACT business organisations that are deeply concerned with this amending bill.

Although the industrial manslaughter legislation is being promoted by the union movement nationally, it is being opposed by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, all state and territory chambers of commerce, a wide range of ACT business groups, including the Canberra Business Council and ClubsACT, and a wide range of national industry associations, including Masters Builder Australia and the Minerals Council.

I commend the ACT chamber of commerce and the other employer agencies for their efforts. They have done their duty and represented the best interests of their members. They should ignore the Chief Minister's disingenuous comments today on their efforts. They have done their duty. They should ignore the Chief Minister's wedge politics as displayed yet again today to try to distract attention from the fundamental weaknesses of this amending bill.

The Liberal opposition is also extremely concerned about the likelihood of the legislation, if it is successful today, driving businesses out of the ACT. Earlier, the Chief Minister pooh-poohed the idea that this could happen. The concern is serious. Let me quote Mr Mark McConnell, who runs a successful business in this town. On radio this morning he suggested that if this legislation is passed he and other business colleagues would have to consider moving some or all of their operations across the border.

I spoke to Mr McConnell as well today and he told me that the most dangerous aspect of this insidious legislation is its overwhelming impact on the microbusiness culture that underpins small to medium business in this community. It is predicted that insurance requirements will rise for them with this law in place and the costs for microbusiness particularly will be prohibitive. That will not support the lot of workers. That will not improve the livelihood of workers.

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