Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. Under the former Howard government, we saw a neglect of the important national productivity and investment agendas, particularly in terms of working with state governments to drive national reform and improvements in the competitiveness of our national economy. But this government has taken on those challenges very seriously and we are pursuing reforms on a number of fronts on top of the major investment we are making in education and training as well as infrastructure. We are focused on making life easier for business by implementing COAG national partnership agreements to deliver a seamless national economy. This COAG agenda covers 36 areas of reform, including 27 business regulation reforms and eight competition reforms. COAG, understanding the importance of reducing red tape for workplaces and small businesses, agreed that occupational health and safety harmonisation was one of the most important of the economic reforms on the agenda. Rightly so.

The figures released today demonstrate the tangible economic benefits that will flow from having a single set of safety standards. The analysis estimates that occupational health and safety harmonisation will deliver productivity benefits to our economy of up to $2 billion a year. That is in addition to $250 million per annum in benefits from red tape reduction and improved safety standards. This report confirms the value to business and to workers of having harmonisation of occupational health and safety law in this country. It is important that all state govern­ments fulfil their commitment to deliver on this very important economic reform and I urge them to do so.