The Federal government has been unable to achieve its ambitious plan of harmonised safety laws by 1 January 2012.
New South Wales have made significant alterations to the model safety laws. Implementation has been delayed in Western Australia and Victoria. And here in South Australia the Workplace Health and Safety Bill was blocked in the Legislative Council late last year, with the Liberal Party indicating it will move to defeat the Safety bill when parliamentary debate resumes.
In a statement to the media, Opposition Industrial Relations Minister Rob Lucas said, "If the bill is not defeated at the second reading stage, the Liberal party will be moving significant amendments in an attempt to remove some of the most objectionable aspects".
He went on to identify a long list of aspects the party considered objectionable, which included:
- The control test
- Union right of entry
- The size of the penalties
- Re-definition of "workplace"
Mr Lucas has also called upon the State government to conduct a Regulatory Impact Statement consistent with the approach now being conducted by the Western Australian and Victorian State governments.
