Occupational Health And Safety Legislation To Be Strengthened

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Industrial Relations

Media Statement - 1 July 1999

Legislation introduced into the Assembly will strengthen ACT Occupational Health and Safety laws if passed, Labor Industrial Relations spokesperson Wayne Berry said today.

"This bill is the continuum of my commitment to ensure a safer workplace for workers in the Australian Capital Territory. This bill sets out to strengthen the legislation by providing a statutory commissioner to ensure the necessary independence of those responsible for the implementation and application of the legislation in private and public workplaces throughout the Territory.

"In October 1995 an Assembly committee of inquiry was established to look into workers' compensation provisions. In the course of that investigation the committee's attention was drawn to occupational health and safety matters. The committee heard "strong arguments" for the establishment of statutory independence for WorkCover. It also received evidence on the differing standards of accountability, which applied between private employers and ACT government workplaces.

Subsequently the committee recommended that the Government legislate to establish a statutory authority - a key recommendation of the committee, which was later rejected by government.

"Occupational health and safety is a fundamental issue for the Labor Party and for me personally. The aim of occupational health and safety legislation is to reduce the impact on individuals and those dependent upon them, it also has as an important impact and effect on the cost to the community in terms of lost work and health costs.

It is not only good for workers it is good for government and it is good for business if strengthened laws improve the situation. This legislation will make advances in all respects.

"At the last ACT election Labor promised that it would legislate for the statutory independence of WorkCover and this legislation does just that," Mr Berry concluded.