Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate take note of the statement.

The Asbestos Management Review ministerial statement of 16 August is welcomed by the opposition. It deals with an issue that has struck the consciousness of many Australians and, regrettably, has struck at many families and individuals in relation to issues of health.

I commend the Australian trade union movement, which has taken a very proactive role in relation to dealing with the issues of the hazards of asbestos, and it would be fair to say that without their active campaigning in relation to this area things may not have progressed as far as they currently have with this review and now the government being willing to look at this review and report in due course. As the minister said on page 12 of his statement:

Be assured this Government will consider their recommendations carefully.

The coalition, similarly, is looking at the recommendations carefully, but with the benefits of the facilities that governments have available to it, we look forward to the government's response. Indeed, I wrote to Mr Shorten on 16 August indicating that it is the coalition's view that the issues raised in the review should be dealt with in a bipartisan manner, and that offer remains open from the coalition to government.

There is a surprisingly large number of cases of mesothelioma and asbestos related cancer. Often it can strike after 10, 20 or indeed 30 years of exposure. We in Australia have the highest reported per capita incidence of asbestos related disease in the world. Whether that is because we are better at diagnosing it than other countries is not necessarily known. Nevertheless, it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 13,000 cases of mesothelioma, and 40,000 Australians are likely to contract asbestos related cancers. So this is a very serious issue. It still is a serious issue potentially for the do-it-yourself home builder who might rip out certain sheeting from a shed or house without knowing the materials that they might actually be exposing themselves to. That is an issue that needs to be addressed, and I understand it is part and parcel of the government's response to this review as well.

Now that we are fully aware of all the dangers of asbestos and the effects that it has on people exposed to it, it makes good sense for all sides of politics, for unions and employers, to join together to try to overcome the legacy issues that are clearly out there, and those legacy issues may well remain with us as a country for another 30 years. More importantly, as a country we should try to ensure that no new cases or new exposures occur. That is where we as coalition welcome the report. We also welcome the ministerial statement made by Mr Shorten on 16 August and commit the coalition to a bipartisan approach on this important issue.

Question agreed to.