Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, ‘pension watch’. I could go on but I will not. I will spare the House the continued examination of failed Labor policies. But there is a sense with this government that, in attempting reform, we get a weak response that is designed to make people think that something is happening when, actually, very little will change. Meaningful reform will be held up and the vested interests of the states will continue to dominate in this vital area of occupational health and safety, and that will not be a good outcome.

We really should be examining ways of enhancing the input of the industry and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry—the peak body representing businesses in Australia. We should be finding ways to ensure employers and employees are making a meaningful contribution to OH&S policies at a national level and collaborating to produce better results. That would be one way of ensuring there is real reform in the next five or six years. In summary I would say that, until we get a model that is cognisant of those facts, I think we need to pause and reconsider some of the mechanisms in this legislation.

See this speech in context