Minister, this is around WorkSafe. Are you confident that all government departments currently have processes in place to ensure compliance with work health and safety obligations of the PCBU, the person conducting a business or undertaking? Specifically, can you confirm how many work health and safety breaches there have been across Tasmania Police and the State Emergency Service in the last financial year, and the nature of those breaches?
The coronial investigation in the five additional coronial inquests, two of them have recommended the Law Reform Institute and the Attorney‑General consider introducing legislation requiring mandatory training and licensing of all persons using quad bikes within your bailiwick, and that the Law Reform Institute and the Attorney‑General consider legislation to prohibit the carrying of passengers on Type 1 quad bikes and no more than one passenger on Type 2 quad bikes. Will you be investigating and progressing those reforms?
Just as we did in the other place, the Greens will be strongly supporting the safer workplaces bill of 2024. We recognise it establishes a new offence of industrial manslaughter in the Work Health and Safety Act 2012, a new division in that act with the objects of the act to prevent workplace death, to deter people from breaching health and safety duties, and to reflect the severity of breaches of work health and safety duties - a duty of care that can lead to the death or serious injury of a worker.
It is very clear the Labor Party comprehensively, thoroughly consulted on this bill, multiple credible organisations, the example of other jurisdictions, including the Commonwealth. This is robust legislation.
We are the only jurisdiction in the country that does not have an industrial manslaughter framework in place.
Our brave emergency service personnel selflessly work to keep Tasmanians safe, but it’s crucial the government ensures these employees and volunteers are kept safe too.
As we have seen over the past fortnight, our selfless State Emergency Service personnel work tirelessly to keep Tasmanians safe. As they go about their work, it is the government's responsibility to keep these employees and volunteers safe.
The Greens support the Asbestos‑Related Diseases (Occupational Exposure) Compensation Amendment Bill 2024.
The Greens welcome the passage of industrial manslaughter laws through the House of Assembly.
On examination of the proposed bills, as well as the various models in different jurisdictions and the views of stakeholders, Labor's bill is the model that the Greens prefer.
