Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, upon notice, on 19 September 2011:

In relation to the Minister's media release entitled 'New health and safety regulations to boost national productivity' issued on 14 September 2011:

(1) On what date and time was the media release placed on the Minister's website.

(2) On what date and time was the attachment, the Decision regulation impact statement for national harmonisation of work health and safety regulations and codes of practice uploaded to the website.

(3) Why does this statement not appear on the Safe Work Australia website.

(4) On what date and at what time was it decided to release the report to the public and who made the decision and on whose advice.

(5) Did the Minister or his office receive any requests for a copy of the report on 14 September 2011; if so, how many requests were there received and in each instance, were copies of the report provided; if not, why not.

(6) Which industry stakeholders were provided with advance copies of the statement and when were they provided.

(7) Did the Workplace Relations Ministers Council resolve to release this report; if not, under whose authority was the report released.

(8) What consultation with other members of the Workplace Relations Ministers Council, if any, was done on the release of the report prior to release.

(9) Under whose direction was the report released to select journalists prior to the public release of the statement, and in each instance, on what date and time was the copy provided and what was the name of the journalist.

(10) Had any party or stakeholder requested an advance copy of the report; if so: (a) who and how many; (b) were any of these requests granted; if so, on what grounds, who received an advance copy and on what date was it provided; and (c) for those requests that were not granted, on what basis were they rejected.

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

The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

The Regulation Impact Statement for the Model OHS Regulations and First Stage Codes of Practice was prepared by Safe Work Australia. Safe Work Australia consists of representatives of the Commonwealth, state and territory governments as well as ACCI, Ai Group and the ACTU.

Consistent with the requirements of the Office of Best Practice Regulation, the Minister provided copies of the approved Regulation Impact Statement for the Model OHS Regulations and First Stage Codes of Practice to members of the Workplace Relations Minsters' Council (WRMC) on 13 September 2011.

At 8.38am on 14 September 2011, Safe Work Australia provided its members with a copy of the approved Regulation Impact Statement. At 9.18am on the same day, the Minister issued a media release announcing the findings of the Regulation Impact Statement.

The approved Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) was attached to the media release on 15 September 2011 at 10.45am.

As is the usual practice, the Office of Best Practice Regulation will publish a copy of the approved Regulation Impact Statement on its website once WRMC has made its decision. At this point, Safe Work Australia will also publish a copy on its website.

The approved Regulation Impact Statement is not a confidential document. If members of WRMC wish to provide copies of the Regulation Impact Statement to stakeholders, then that is a matter for them.