Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for her question and I am grateful for the coverage in the Daily Telegraph today about what happens when you have a New South Wales government stripped of compensation.

The case which the member for Page refers to, which is also detailed in the Daily Telegraph, is about a fellow working at a desalination plant four years ago at Kurnell. I will tell you what happened to him. He lost half a foot, muscles from his thigh and half his abdomen. He doubts he will get a job again in the same industry. His medical costs pile up. He is watching his kids grow up but, because of his injuries incurred at work through no fault of his own, he cannot share the same experiences in parenting as someone who has not been put in this situation.

It is bad enough that you get injured at work, but even worse that you get injured again when Liberals get into power. If this person does not reach the 30 per cent threshold, if he were ever to return to work he would get medical payments for one year—as if your foot grows back when you get injured; as if your abdomen grows back. In Liberal land, where the workers come second, after 12 months you get it in the neck.

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