Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Clearly, the award modernisation process was not designed to wipe out occupational health and safety provisions existing in, in this instance, New South Wales, dealing with the range of matters that I discussed earlier this evening. It is not the intention of this government to destroy existing occupational health and safety provisions. It may be the opposition’s desire to do that. But having identified an issue it is incumbent upon this government to address that. We are addressing it in a narrow way. It is not saying that the award provision that exists in New South Wales will be mirrored; it is a matter for the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. What we are saying is that safety terms can be included.

As to what happens in other jurisdictions in relation to all of these things, I understand that you might want to put a fence around your industrial relations systems, hold on to Work Choices and hold on to today’s industrial relations provisions, but I cannot and would not guarantee to you what will happen tomorrow or the next day or the day after that if it means improvements to occupational health and safety across this country, particularly in industries such as the long-haul transport area. Why would I? And I would be surprised if the opposition were against improved occupational health and safety in long-haul transport. If you are not, then all this provision does is exactly that. If you have a problem with particular issues, if you think they are corrupt and you make the allegation that they are corrupt, there are plenty of places you can air that. You can air it in here at will or you can go outside, as I think you were invited to do. Neither of those options is what I am inviting you to do. If you think those things exist then take them up with the appropriate authorities to have them investigated. That is what I have always argued and that is the sensible course of action. If anybody would refute that then I question their motive.