Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

During the last sitting week I had the honour of hosting a delegation of workers affected by silicosis. They were joined by Mark Brooke, the CEO of Lung Foundation Australia. Shane, Kyle, Tony and Josh generously shared their stories with me about the suffering they are experiencing due to exposure to silica dust. They were part of a large delegation which included, among others, the Australian Council of Trade Unions. The workers are exposed to silica dust through activities such as mining, tunnelling and road construction and through the cutting and drilling of silica infused benchtops, known as Caesarstone. The inhalation of silica dust often leads to diseases such as lung cancer and respiratory failure and can cause immune disorders and kidney disease.

I am pleased that Minister Tony Burke is working with the states and territories, unions and employer groups through Safe Work Australia to implement the Occupational Lung Diseases work plan and has recently approved a new silica work health and safety code of practice. However, it is clear, after talking to the delegation, much more needs to be done. I look forward to furthering this cause as a unionist and a proud member of the Albanese Labor government.

See this speech in context