Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens do support these amendments, but we have put amendments that seek to go further because we are deeply concerned about the ability of the CEO to give direction to Safe Work Australia. The opposition amendments limit the ability of the minister to direct the CEO by excluding directions on operational matters—that is, the minister cannot direct the CEO on operational matters. ‘Operational matters’ are defined as matters in the strategic operational plan. However, we would prefer the approach of opposing all ministerial direction to the CEO, which is why we have put amendments to that end. We believe that the opposition amendments go some way to dealing with the issues that we have concerns about but we would have liked to have gone further.

We believe this is specifically an issue around independence and the fact that this body should be tripartite. We believe that these provisions—like many other provisions that we raised during the debate last night—take away responsibility from Safe Work Australia, undermine its independence and undermine its tripartite approach. We believe the exercise of ministerial intervention in these sorts of bodies is not appropriate because it does not provide for transparency or effective outcomes and, as I said, it undermines the genuine tripartite approach that we expect from this body.

I am so scared when I find myself agreeing with Senator Abetz, as I have on so much of this debate!