Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Collins, do not get me started—you would be one of the least politically correct on that side, and I welcome that. Those six social partners would still be a minority in the 16. I would be gobsmacked if any state Premier or Chief Minister were willing to get up and say that would somehow stand in the way of preventing workplace deaths, injuries and diseases, of harmonising occupational health and safety and of improving national workers compensation arrangements. I really cannot see, with great respect, how that would change any of the objects of this legislation.

I think the minister and I may have been talking past each other in relation to the ‘peak body’ definition. The ‘peak body’ definition, as I understand it, is a definition employed by the International Labor Organisation, and the ILO does not seem to have any difficulty in saying that ACCI and the ACTU are the two representative bodies to be taken into account. I understand that Australia is a signatory to that body—it was one of the initial signatories in 1913 or something, if my history does not elude me. In those circumstances, I cannot see why the Greens amendment nominating the bodies and stopping the minister from playing favourites would in any way derogate from the benefits that we hope this legislation will have.