Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

‘Occupational health and safety’. Clause 26.2 states:

... the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, its regulations and associated safety legislation will apply.

And it goes on to say:

All employees will participate in safety training programs, including detailed induction on refinery and project safety procedures.

So this clearly sets out that the Victorian occupational health and safety law will continue to prevail. Not only that, when I turn over to the next page I find the following in clause 26.11:

Occupational health and safety representatives will be provided with five days paid training for attendance at an occupational health and safety course consistent with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.

In other words, union training, if that is the choice, will continue to be provided as part of that occupational health and safety training if that is what the Victorian legislation prescribes. As I said, this was a surprising agreement in light of the comments from the opposition and, particularly, in light of that interview with Mr Shorten on the television recently. When I turn to the back of this agreement to see who the signatories are, I see that this agreement, lodged on 12 May, was signed, for and on behalf of the Australian Workers Union, by the assistant secretary of the Australian Workers Union. So we have Mr Shorten and others opposite going around Australia saying—as Mr Shorten did on Sky News—‘I don’t accept that workers will still be able to receive union provided safety training,’ when his own union is negotiating an agreement under Work Choices which provides specifically for the continued operation of occupational health and safety laws and, indeed, training in Australia. This says once again what the unions and those opposite know, and that is that occupational health and safety is a matter for the states and territories in Australia and nothing in Work Choices will stop training being provided by a union if that is what the parties decide.

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