Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator Evans. Can the minister inform the Senate of the important productivity benefits of the COAG agenda to deliver a seamless national economy?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to 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.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of any support for the historic reform of occupational health and safety laws across the country?

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

I am very pleased to say that these reforms have received almost unanimous support across the country. They were supported by state governments when we signed the COAG agreements, and they have had strong endorsement from business groups and trade unions. Those organisations recognise the absurdity of having nine different occupational health and safety laws and 400 sets of regulations. They recognise that business cannot continue to wait for this important reform and they have all called on governments to deliver by the agreed deadline of 1 January 2012. Peter Anderson, representing ACCI, is a strong supporter of harmonisation. He has called on state governments to ensure those laws are in place by January 2012. There is strong business, union and community support for getting this reform done, and we must do it.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any potential roadblocks to the harmonisation of OHS laws?

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

I am pleased to say that a number of states have already passed relevant legislation. It has been introduced into this parliament and into a number of other parl­iaments, or is about to be. But there has been some backsliding by a couple of govern­ments in recent times. Victoria and Western Australia have been sending signals that they may not be as committed as their earlier commitments seemed to reflect. Figures released today show that not implementing the reform will cost the Victorian and Western Australian economies $62 million and $26 million respectively. Not harmon­ising would actually cost their economies, and there would be a very negative result for the development of a seamless national economy and the benefits that would flow to business from these reforms. I was very concerned today to see that Senator Abetz seemed to be hedging his bets as well, given the previous strong Liberal Party support for reform. Again they seem to be taking a negative attitude and are walking away from vital measures. (Time expired)