Media Statement
PARLIAMENT HOUSE CANBERRA ACT 2600
Telephone: 02 6277 4870 Facsimile: 02 6277 8557
23/9/09
NATIONALLY CONSISTENT LAWS FOR A NATIONAL WORKFORCE
Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia Gary Gray MP, today
called upon Treasurer Troy Buswell to reconsider his stance on health and safety
laws.
The Treasurer’s refusal to join Safe Work Australia will leave Western Australia out
of the national health and safety negotiation process.
“It is unacceptable that Western Australia be the only State to operate under a
different system of health and safety regulations”, said Mr Gray.
“Businesses and workers constantly move across state lines for new opportunities
and a simplified national system will be better for workers and better for workers
safety - better for business and better for business practices.”
“WA is a State that needs to attend to its safety record – 482 workers have died at
work in Western Australia over the past 10 years.”
“Creating nationally consistent workplace rules will make workplaces safer, will make
work practices simpler and add to the mobility of Western Australian workers
travelling interstate and new workers arriving in Western Australia.”
“Every worker has the right to return home from work as healthy as they were when
they arrived in the morning.”
“Harmonisation of occupational health and safety laws is also good for business.”
“National business needs certainty – it doesn’t need the headaches and
inefficiencies that come with different and incompatible health and safety laws across
different jurisdictions.”
“Creating a nationally consistent workplace safety regime will reduce compliance
costs, regulations and red tape for business.”
Today Mr Gray called on the Treasurer to heed the advice of business and unions
and work with the Australian Government to create a better safety regime for
Western Australian workers.
Media contact: Paddy Fagan (Mr Gray’s Office) 0439 967 850
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