Page 2009 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 15 May 2013
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‘sham contracting’”. That sham contracting again is identified as an area where gaps occur when it comes to safety initiatives.
Some of the Getting home safely recommendations also reflect the issues we have taken forward as part of that policy platform—such as an increase in the amount of WorkSafe inspectors, a new focus on proactive inspections, and reform of the ACT’s procurement system. I am hoping that the ACT moves quickly to the new process of “active certification”. That essentially involves the government employing its own auditors to conduct regular and ad hoc audits on government work. That is an initiative the Greens have pushed for and was part of our election platform.
It is right that we have focused on construction worksite safety in recent months given the deaths and very serious injuries that have been occurring. I do want to emphasise, though, that work safety also extends beyond traditional physical injuries and hazards.
In the last Assembly the Greens introduced and debated legislation that would have helped to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace, focusing on workplace bullying and harassment. These are damaging practices that can have a serious impact on people’s lives and health and also have a detrimental economic and productivity impact. That legislation would have ensured that WorkSafe’s inspectorate included specialist expertise in dealing with bullying and other workplace psychosocial issues, recognising that these are quite complex issues. It also would have established an expert advisory committee to ensure that the ACT implemented best practice laws and procedures on workplace bullying.
That legislation was not supported at the time, which was deeply disappointing given the thought and care that had gone into it and the recognised issues that exist in the workplace. The response of the Canberra Liberals was particularly ironic given that they spend so much time talking about bullying in the ACT. Here was an opportunity to take some sensible steps, and they manufactured an excuse to make sure it would not pass.
Another major reform was passed in the last Assembly, the reform of OH&S legislation now largely harmonised in the new Work Health and Safety Act. That, too, was rejected by the Canberra Liberals despite the long awaited improvements it will make to work health and safety. Fortunately it was supported by the Greens and got the numbers in the Assembly. We also moved various amendments to strengthen that legislation.
Even the territory’s Dangerous Substances Act, obviously one of the most important pieces of legislation when it comes to protecting workers—workers who deal with contaminants like asbestos—was not supported by the Canberra Liberals at the time it was brought forward in the chamber.
I wonder what improvements to workplace safety the Canberra Liberals will actually support. I will be interested to see the position they take in relation to the issue of an industrial magistrates court in the ACT by way of example.
I will now briefly turn to the amendments I am moving today. I note the comments members have already made and I welcome their support.
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