Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer and Acting Prime Minister. Will the Acting Prime Minister now amend the government’s so-called Work Choices laws to make it clear in black and white that employers will be permitted to agree to their workers obtaining leave to attend training by unions on occupational health and safety?

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Work Choices legislation actually makes it quite clear, by precluding occupational health and safety matters from the legislation, that the legislation of state governments stands and the occupational health and safety legislation that they put in place remains the law. Under state laws employers will continue to be required to meet their health and safety obligation, which includes appropriate training.

I have heard allegations, including some from the next putative Labor leader, Mr Shorten, on the weekend, that somehow trade union officials are prohibited from engaging in occupational or training courses. I have no higher authority that this is false than the member for Lilley, the shadow Treasurer. In an email—from Mike Murphy to Victoria White in the member’s office—Mike Murphy asks this question:

... the impression being given that employers are subject to fines if they send employees to union-run safety training courses—

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Acting Prime Minister is irrelevant.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He knows very well—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a matter of what can be incorporated in agreements.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Obtaining leave cannot be incorporated in an agreement. Now answer the question: are you going to change it?

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have answered it already.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the Acting Prime Minister, and he is in order.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So Mike Murphy goes to the office of the member for Lilley and asks:

... the impression being given that employers are subject to fines if they send employees to union-run safety training courses is misleading?

And Victoria White comes back and says, ‘Yes, that is correct: completely misleading.’ From the member for Lilley’s own staff:

Employees attending union-run training cannot be included in an agreement as a condition of employment but an employer can send employees to union training.

So there you have it: you have it from the legislation that the state legislation stands, and you have it from none other than the member for Lilley’s staff that they can go off to the courses—and to suggest to the contrary is completely misleading and completely false.