2020-02-27
It has long been Greens policy to have federal laws on industrial manslaughter and to have them in the Crimes Act so that employers can be held accountable for the tragic loss of hundreds of lives on worksites around Australia. The current patchwork, really, of state and territory laws does not protect workers. I sat on this inquiry, and we heard devastating stories. In many cases the inquest takes so long that the statute of limitations expires, so no-one is held accountable. The system is definitely failing. Funding and resources also must be directed towards work health and safety regulators, who can ensure compliance and allow for more effective preventive measures to be put in place, because our aim should be zero work-related deaths.