Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence—I acknowledge the Prime Minister's initial responses to the royal commission and his statement about further investigations by ministers and others. Our thoughts are foremost with the families and the friends of the young men who died—the Fuller, Barnes, Sweeney and Wilson families. I acknowledge the further discussion about possible compensation.

I wish to put on record that I recognise that no amount of compensation ever balances people. I have never seen people receive compensation who would not rather they could turn back the clock. But having said that, I acknowledge that government is putting forward that proposition.

I also wish to acknowledge that every death in a workplace is a tragedy. Labor's attitude is that anything that improves workplace safety is worthwhile. There have been, even in the last 12 months, over 200 traumatic fatalities in workplaces. Taking the Prime Minister's words, that is a failure across our society in people going to work and not returning home.

Furthermore, there are hundreds if not thousands of people who have received exposure to industrial diseases who will die. So we await the responses of the ministers and I thank the government for their initial comments.

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