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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (27 November) . . Page.. 4878 ..

MRS BURKE (continuing):

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry then states:

Worse still, the real message of mutual co-operation to improve workplace safety that should be communicated to ACT businesses and employees (a message which we as the nation's peak employer body spend so much time on promoting) is lost in the fog of a punitive Bill such as this.

That statement speaks for itself.

Mr Stanhope: Who wrote that?

MRS BURKE: The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry made that statement.

I will make a few comments about another of the biggest and most experienced industry groups in Australia that quite wisely and rightly want safer workplaces in Australia. Who does not want safer workplaces? This government seems to think that Liberal opposition members do not want safer workplaces, which is utter rubbish. We must ensure that our workplaces are safe.

I have contributed on many occasions to debate in this place to promote ACT WorkCover practices. I have told members that when I was in a former occupation I worked well with ACT WorkCover to promote safety in the workplace through small businesses and students. I won an award for that work-an award of which I am proud. I read from a document prepared by the Australian Industry Group that states:

... no more power or clear rights to institute improved safety control mechanisms. The Bill puts the full onus of responsibility on employers without clarifying the uncertainty around issues such as drug and alcohol testing and dismissals for safety breaches. These issues will have heightened importance in this new safety regime and should have been clarified as part of the package.

Success in avoiding the tragic consequence of a workplace death is best achieved by the joint efforts of employers and employees.

There is a danger that the Industrial Manslaughter Bill could lead to resources being diverted from existing successful OH&S priorities.

This government is robbing Peter to pay Paul. The minister should stick with what is going well. There is no demonstrated need for this bill in the ACT. The safety and welfare of our workers is paramount. However, it is ridiculous to force additional legislation on a jurisdiction such as Canberra. There is no point in doing that. The provisions under the Crimes Act cover that. The existing national focus on managing risk in the workplace is already working.

We require a much less adversarial approach, though I was told by a couple of government members that this place is adversarial. If that is the way in which members want to operate they should go for their lives. The government and those members do not appear to want to work with the people. The Australian Industry Group also states:

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