Page 2235 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 31 October 1989
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Now, given the legislation in various areas in the Territory, 14 days is a very short period of time. In a lot of our legislation people are allowed 21 days or 28 days - - -
Mr Whalan: It is a long time in politics.
MR STEFANIAK: It is a hell of a long time in politics, Deputy Chief Minister. Seven days is a long time. In this Assembly five minutes could be a long time.
Out there in the workplace and in the community 14 days is a fairly short period of time, especially as this particular clause deals with the start of a work group being established in accordance with the clause. I feel it would be more in line with general legislation and the general and realistic time periods for certain things to happen, for "21 days" to be inserted there rather than "14 days", 14 days being just a little bit too short a time period. It is a little bit unrealistic when one looks at the modern workplace. That is the reason why I put up that particular amendment.
MR WHALAN (Minister for Industry, Employment and Education) (8.03): We oppose this, Mr Speaker. It is an extraordinary tactic on the part of the Liberal Party in relation to this legislation. Having failed in their objective of having no occupational health and safety legislation introduced, they are now in the process of dismantling the legislation to such an extent that it becomes hardly worthwhile implementing.
We have done a bit of costing during the meal break - just on the back of an envelope - as to what the decisions that were made by the Residents Rally party earlier tonight are going to cost. The cost to the taxpayer as a result of those decisions by the Residents Rally party in their support for the Liberal Party's dismantling of the legislation will run into millions of dollars.
This nitpicking way of saying that 14 days is too short a period to prepare a notice and put it up is just unacceptable. To extend that to 21 days is not acceptable to the Government, and we will be opposing that.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (8.04): Mr Speaker, the Minister's last statement cannot go unchallenged. The Liberal Party has never had an objective of no occupational health and safety legislation, and the Minister knows it. That was never our objective. Our objective is to have occupational health and safety legislation that is fair to the employee and the employer. I think that the Minister, if he were fair, would acknowledge that.
MR MOORE (8.05): It comes as some surprise to me, Mr Speaker, that this person who is inoculated with a gramophone record - not a gramophone needle but a gramophone record - Mr Stefaniak, should come around with this now because - - -
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