Nick Xenophon (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Hansard source

As a co-sponsor of this amendment I am very pleased to speak to it. In answer to Senator Cameron's question to Senator Leyonhjelm, as a co-sponsor I am very happy to say that this was an anomaly that needed to be dealt with to be brought in line with the Fair Work Act so that the reverse onus of proof of provisions did not apply in relation to the construction industry—so that the same standard that applies more broadly in the Fair Work Act in respect of not requiring a reverse onus of proof ought to apply to the construction sector. That is why, from an occupational health and safety point of view, this is a good amendment. I would have thought that even those who are implacably opposed to this bill would agree that this actually is an improvement on the current bill.