Page 1624 - Week 06 - Thursday, 13 August 1992
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health and safety legislation in place, there were 1,734 workers compensation claims for workplace injury in the ACT private sector. This resulted in 9,532 weeks of lost time, an amount equivalent to the loss of one worker's productivity for 183 years. The direct financial cost of that was approximately $6m.
Mr Kaine: He was a pretty long-lived employee. At what age did he retire?
MR BERRY: The Leader of the Opposition seems to be amused by this. It would be better if he turned to making some supportive comments about this legislation.
Mr Humphries: At least he had a job, Trevor.
MR BERRY: I hear Mr Humphries say, "At least he had a job", which seems to suggest to me that Mr Humphries would trade off workplace safety in the interest of more dangerous jobs for workers.
In 1988-89, before the introduction of private sector occupational health and safety legislation, the financial cost to employers was approximately $7.5m, with a level of lost time of 11,841 weeks.
Mr De Domenico: But there were more workers in the work force then too, Mr Berry, before Keating got them all to be on the dole.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Berry, please continue.
MR BERRY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I have stated, the benefits brought by the legislation have been passed on directly to employers with an average 40 per cent reduction in premiums. In 1990, while in opposition, I introduced the same amendment. It was opposed. The injuries suffered by workers and the savings lost are gone forever as a result of the opposition to that amendment. Now is the chance to further reduce the number of injured and at the same time reduce employment costs. With the obvious improvements for workers and employers, I expect all members of this Assembly to support this amendment. I now present the explanatory memorandum for the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mr De Domenico) adjourned.
LAW OFFICER BILL 1992
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (10.41): Madam Speaker, I present the Law Officer Bill 1992.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Law Officer Bill 1992 confirms the inherent or common law powers of the ACT Attorney-General and ensures that the ACT Attorney-General is in an equivalent position to the Attorneys-General in each of the other Australian jurisdictions. The office of Attorney-General dates back to medieval England. Gary Humphries will like that bit. As monarchs could not appear in courts in
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