Page 602 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 March 2014
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What we do, through Dr Bourke’s amendment previously and these amendments, which it appears are going to be adopted today, is actually start to codify something that we have not needed to for 25 years. And I think that is unfortunate. But my concern is to make sure that I can do what I can to ensure the committee system works.
I have had lengthy discussions with the Clerk about his concerns about what is wrong at the moment and how that is not good for the Assembly, how it is not good for the staff of the Committee Office. And Mr Rattenbury reflected upon that. It is probably, I suspect, somewhat unedifying for staff of the Committee Office to have to sit through what, as I get the impression, are pretty juvenile attempts at negotiation in some of these committees.
All in all, I think that this is not the solution to the problem. The solution to the problem lies in our goodwill. If we had goodwill we would not necessarily be here today. But as there has been, to some extent, a dearth of goodwill, we are here today. I think today there has been a recognition from all sides that we need to do something to improve things.
So let us make this the first day of better cooperation in committees in the Eighth Assembly. Let us draw a line in the sand and see what we can do for the benefit of the people of the ACT and do something for the reputation of this chamber. I commend the report the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Getting home safely report—government response
Ministerial statement
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development), by leave: I rise to present this second report on the progress made by the government in implementing the recommendations of the Getting home safely report. As members will recall this report was the outcome of an inquiry into compliance with work health and safety requirements in the ACT’s construction industry. When I announced the government’s agreement to all 28 recommendations in the report I also committed to providing the Assembly with six-monthly progress reports on implementation.
First up I would like to note that since tabling the government response 12 months ago there have been no further deaths in the construction industry. While I am pleased to say this, I hope this record is retained and that we never lose another construction worker, or any worker for that matter, due to a workplace accident. The death of any worker in any industry is unacceptable.
I believe the industry is demonstrating genuine engagement and increasing cooperation to improve safety outcomes. I congratulate both workers and employers in this regard, in particular, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union for its leadership on these matters and the Master Builders Association and Housing
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