Page 2117 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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because of the weakness of industrial occupational health and safety legislation in the Territory.
I have no difficulty in supporting the unions in their struggle for this strengthening of occupational health and safety legislation in the Territory. I am a proud union member and always have been in my working life and I expect that I will continue to be a proud union member for the rest of my life. I think that unions have an important role to play in the protection of their members in the workplace. One of their roles is occupational health and safety. I know that unions will not back away from it, and the Liberal Party will not get away with what it is up to now.
MRS GRASSBY (Minister for Housing and Urban Services) (11.30): I find it fascinating that Liberal Party members tell me that they support the people, when they do not support the workers. I am concerned about those people who do not speak English and who are working in places such as Chinese restaurants. They are brought in to work in the kitchens of Chinese restaurants where they are paid a pittance for working 18 hours a day. The Liberals want to stop the unions going into these places and doing something about it.
Mr Kaine: Why do you not do something about it? You are the Government. It is your jurisdiction.
MRS GRASSBY: We are trying to do it right now and the Liberals are trying to stop us. Let us get it right. The Liberals want to vote against it.
Mr Kaine: That has nothing to do with this Bill.
MRS GRASSBY: Of course it has. This is a case where there is no union protection in a workplace for the workers.
Mr Kaine: They have it now. They do not need this legislation to get it.
MRS GRASSBY: They do need this legislation to tie it up tightly so that there is no way around it. This is exactly the problem. This is how it works all the time. There are ways of getting out of it and the Liberals are opening another loophole.
Mr Collaery: Did you allow your workers to open beer kegs without wearing helmets?
MRS GRASSBY: I opened my own beer kegs, Mr Collaery. I always believed that there should never be a boss who could not do every job his workers do. He should not expect the worker to do a job he would not do himself, including cleaning out the toilets in hotels, which I have done.
Mr Collaery: I have been told I am not allowed to say anything.
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