Page 2119 - Week 06 - Thursday, 26 June 2008
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
With our skill shortages, it makes it very hard for work inspectors to actually be kept. There is a real problem in terms of WorkCover being reactive and not being proactive. That really does affect worker safety.
I think all of us in this place accept the obvious. A worker should be entitled to go to work knowing they are going to come home in one piece and knowing that there are things in place and laws in place, government policies in place, which will ensure safety in the workforce as far as you can. That means WorkCover has to be proactive, getting out there inspecting work stations, getting out there and seeing what needs to be fixed. We have had some tragic accidents and some near tragic accidents in this territory in the last few years that we simply do not want to see happen again. I think those couple of extra inspectors, whilst welcome, do not really address the very significant problem there in terms of worker safety in this territory.
Dr Foskey mentioned the Melbourne Cup holiday. I must say she has parroted something which I agree with and which I said on many occasions in relation to this. The traditional Melbourne Cup day has been an opportunity for people in the workplace to get together in a convivial, social atmosphere, let off a bit of steam, let down their hair and interact in no other way that you can in the workplace, not even at the annual Christmas party.
It has been a great tradition that I think has been taken out, effectively, by this government declaring that a public holiday in place of the traditional trades and labour day. The government of course now have got no excuse if they want to bring it back, because Work Choices has gone out the door as far as the federal government is concerned. They do not have an excuse there and, if they were to reactivate that, I do not think too many people would complain. But the big problem is the fact that it has a detrimental effect really on workplace morale to have another public holiday.
We have seen, because of when it falls, that it creates a four-day long weekend. People will take that Monday off. People will leave town. It is an impost on business. There are some significant issues there just in terms of the cost to business of the extra penalty rates they have to pay as a result of that public holiday, plus the fact that people will naturally take the opportunity to have a holiday on Monday—flex off, whatever, day in lieu—and take that public holiday on the Tuesday and have a four-day holiday. There is the effect that has on business in the territory and the productivity of the territory.
That does not mention of course the fact that the traditional Melbourne Cup day in Canberra—where people would organise their own entertainment, bosses would be pretty reasonable, people would be able to take time off work, many people would just celebrate in the workplace—was a rather unique day which, sadly, we will not see if the government persists in making sure that is a public holiday. I want to make those points in relation to those two particular areas in the Chief Minister’s Department.
At 6.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the motion for the adjournment of the Assembly was put and negatived.
Sitting suspended from 6.00 to 7.30 pm.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .