Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

Praised the role of union delegates and workplace health and safety representatives in keeping workplaces safe, arguing the bill empowers workers to identify and address risks.

“The point at which a workplace will go down the track of being a safe one, in my opinion, is when workers are actually listened to.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

As the responsible minister, moved the second reading and championed the bill as strengthening worker protections through expanded health and safety representative powers, training access, and union involvement in safety matters.

“There should be no higher priority than safety at work. This bill strengthens worker protection and representation and builds on the record of the Miles government in leading the nation to keep Queensland workers safe.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Argued the bill is a payback to union donors rather than genuine workplace safety reform, criticising the exclusion of non-registered associations like the Red Union Support Hub and Teachers' Professional Association of Queensland from representing workers.

“This bill is less about keeping workers safe and more about the government paying their dues to their union masters.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Argued the bill is not about workplace safety but about entrenching union power and Labor Party financial interests, denying workers the choice to join alternative associations, and legislating competition out of existence.

“This bill is not about workplace health and safety; this bill is about denying workers' rights. The Labor Party Queensland should be ashamed. Only the LNP will put workers front and centre and give them the rights they deserve.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Supported the bill as strengthening Queensland's nation-leading workplace safety laws, highlighting the importance of health and safety representatives and criticising the Newman LNP government's changes to WorkCover.

“Workplace fatalities are not just the cost of doing business; they are a devastating loss to the family and communities, and a sign that we need to do better to stop all preventable deaths and traumatic injuries in the workplace.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as strengthening worker protections and dismissed unregistered associations as lacking credibility, citing the QIRC President's criticism of non-registered entities purporting to represent workers.

“This bill is about strengthening again the protection of Queensland workers. Every worker in Queensland deserves to come home safely.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Opposed the bill as a clear attempt to bolster union power under the guise of health and safety, citing CFMEU disruption on Gold Coast construction sites including the Gold Coast University Hospital and Commonwealth Games venues.

“It is disgraceful to see such a blatant conflict of interest at play, with the Miles Labor government leveraging its parliamentary majority to push legislation that favours its financial and political supporters.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Argued the bill represents corrupt conduct by legislating a monopoly for unions that financially support the Labor Party, while destroying workers' right to choose their representative.

“What a wicked corruption this bill is. What a disgrace that we have members of the Labor Party who are—all of them, I understand—in one way or another, in receipt of support from the union movement.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Strongly supported the bill, arguing workers know their workplaces best and that enabling unions to participate in work group negotiations protects workers from being forced to identify as union members.

“Workers know their workplace better than anyone else and they know when their workplace is safe and when it is not safe.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as a proud AWU member, defended the independence of the review panel, and argued the insurance prohibition on safety penalties is essential to maintain deterrence.

“Saving people's lives in making workplaces safe is not causing trouble; it is making sure that the workers—he or she—go to work in the morning and come home alive.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Opposed the bill on the grounds it creates a union monopoly over workplace health and safety representation, raising concerns about rival unions being able to enter each other's worksites and the lack of a fit and proper person test or certificate IV qualification for health and safety representatives.

“One of the things that worries me about this bill is that the unions will be given monopolistic control over what will happen in particular workplaces.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill's safety reforms, citing recent mining fatalities at Dugald River and Saraji Coal Mine, and the Kidston pumped hydro near-miss, while cautioning that cease work powers must not be exploited for political purposes.

“The fact is that the most important and most valuable thing to go in and out of a mine is the workers, and I will say that time and time again because I truly believe it.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Supported the bill as making safer workplaces, criticising the LNP's voting record against workers' rights including industrial manslaughter laws and paid domestic violence leave, and highlighting links between red union leaders and the LNP.

“They will say it in here, but when we look at their actions in terms of their voting record when in government we see: stripping away common law workers compensation rights for around 9,000 injured workers.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as continuing Queensland's record of strengthening workplace safety laws, endorsing the objectives of promoting health and safety representatives and clarifying union representation.

“I wholeheartedly endorse the bill's objectives of promoting and strengthening the role of health and safety representatives.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Supported the bill's improvements to workplace health and safety but challenged Labor to go further by giving workers the ability to collectively bargain at any level and take industrial action beyond narrow bargaining periods.

“Corporations do not want to improve working conditions because improving working conditions costs owners and shareholders money, and this is the reality of our capitalist economy that puts businesses and company profits in direct competition with workers' conditions and safety.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Argued the bill is designed to entrench union power rather than advance worker safety, creating a monopoly for predetermined unions and allowing them to enter workplaces regardless of workers' wishes.

“The LNP do not agree that the Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill should be passed. We do not agree it should be passed because we do not agree that the bill seeks to advance the safety of workers.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Drew on personal experience as a former workplace health and safety representative and nurse, sharing that his uncle died in a construction accident in the 1970s. Rebutted LNP claims about the bill and defended the principle of not forming new unions where one already provides coverage.

“Perhaps if we had this type of legislation in the 1970s, my uncle Alan might not have perished at work.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill, providing historical context on workplace safety regulation and outlining the bill's key reforms to health and safety representative powers and cease work directions.

“Workers have a vested interest in ensuring good outcomes for not only themselves but also their workmates.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Opposed the bill as a payback to unions, arguing that the government prevented non-affiliated organisations from registering as unions and then labelled them as fake. Drew on his experience as a former union representative in the aviation industry.

“This is a payback for all members opposite who rely on the union movement for their bread and butter and their seat in this House.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Argued the bill is a sellout of Queensland workers to reward the government's union benefactors, removing workers' choice of representation and enabling union monopoly on worksites.

“As outlined by the LNP shadow minister, the LNP will be voting against this legislation as it is clearly designed to entrench union power and influence on work sites in the guise of workplace health and safety.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Supported the bill as continuing Queensland's record of strengthening workplace safety laws, drawing on the experience of heavy industries in the Mackay region and highlighting that workers are best placed to identify workplace risks.

“A union is a group of workers. A union is made up of workers. From the way unions have been spoken about by those opposite you would think they were aliens.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as a proud former union official, emphasising the importance of workers feeling confident to speak up about hazards and having strong workplace health and safety culture.

“Systems are important, but it is not systems that save lives. It is the daily work of people on the ground working out small solutions to small problems.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard

Opposed the bill on freedom of association grounds, arguing workers should be able to choose any representative organisation. Raised concerns about inadequate training requirements and the absence of a fit and proper person test for site entrants.

“People should have the right to find an association they deem appropriate to represent themselves.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

Supported the bill, correcting opposition claims by distinguishing between union officials and elected workplace health and safety representatives, and noting that registered unions already must pass fit and proper person tests unlike unregistered associations.

“One person is one too many when it comes to workplace deaths. That is why our government introduced the offence of industrial manslaughter back in 2017.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard

As Minister for Industrial Relations, delivered the reply to the second reading debate. Defended the bill as empowering elected workplace health and safety representatives, clarifying existing cease work rights, and ensuring proper training. Shared her father's devastating industrial accident in a tannery.

“Workers sell their labour, not their health. All this nonsense about payback and payments and everything is just clouding a very important issue, and those opposite should be ashamed of themselves.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard