David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Safe Work Australia Amendment (Role and Functions) Bill 2017 tweaks the functions of a body responsible for regulating workplace health and safety, called Safe Work Australia. I have no objection to the bill. What I do object to is Safe Work Australia itself. Safe Work Australia is a body that is answerable to everyone, so in reality it is answerable to no-one. It reports to ministers not just from the Commonwealth but from every state and territory in Australia, and it enforces regulations that need to be agreed between every government in Australia. This is a recipe for the bureaucrats doing what they want, regardless of how stupid this is.

A recent example relates to the labelling of chemicals used in agriculture. Such labelling is regulated by the Commonwealth's Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Their labelling requirements are reasonable, internationally consistent, supported by industry and keep everyone safe. Then Safe Work Australia came along and imposed requirements for additional labels to be plastered onto the packs of chemicals used in agriculture—supposedly based on work health and safety criteria, and ignoring the fact that the APVMA already takes this into account. The new labelling requirements are confusing, costly and duplicative, and make those handling the chemicals less, rather than more, safe. Industry objected to the Commonwealth minister, but the Commonwealth minister couldn't stop the madness. The madness would only stop if every state and territory minister from Labor and Liberal governments agreed to rein in the rampant Safe Work Australia. It was all too difficult and the ridiculous double labelling continues.

The Liberal Democrats believe in the Federation, but this is no way to run a federation. If workplace health and safety is to be the responsibility of the Commonwealth government, powers should be referred to the Commonwealth, and then a Commonwealth body would be solely answerable to a Commonwealth minister. If the bureaucrats behave stupidly, the Commonwealth minister could stop them. I support this bill, but I oppose Safe Work Australia. We should abolish this body and start again.