John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

In response to the questions from Senator Xenophon, the correspondence that I have from the representatives of the transport industry says that this amendment allows a mirroring of the system which exists in New South Wales today. In New South Wales the Staysafe Committee is about to review the regulations in New South Wales because they say it is simply not working, it is a bundle of red tape and it has put extreme costs and pressures on the transport industry. That is why the Staysafe Committee will soon review these regulations.

Surely, no matter what the minister says today, he cannot guarantee that some other jurisdiction will not adopt similar policies. If this was to be wholly and solely in New South Wales, as it has been since 2005, why is it even in this chamber here now? New South Wales has had the regulations for almost four years and the minister is saying that this is to allow for some sort of concreting process for New South Wales laws. I do not think that is the case at all. The situation is that it is here now, it was not in the original Fair Work Bill and it has been slipped in by the government as an amendment, hence I will not support it in any way unless the minister gives an absolute, 100 per cent guarantee that this amendment in this bill will not allow this to proceed in any other state. But of course the minister cannot give that guarantee because any other state can bring in OH&S regulations whenever they want. That is the situation as I see it.