At the request of Senator Marshall, I move:

That the following matters be referred to the Education and Employment References Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day of September 2018:

The framework surrounding the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia, with particular reference to:

(a) the effectiveness and extent of the harmonisation of workplace safety legislation between the states, territories and Commonwealth;

(b) jurisdictional issues surrounding workplace investigations which cross state and territory boundaries;

(c) issues relating to reporting, monitoring and chains of responsibility between states, territories and the Commonwealth;

(d) safety implications relating to the increased use of temporary and labour hire workers;

(e) the role of employers and unions in creating a safe-work culture;

(f) the effectiveness of penalties in situations where an employer has been convicted of an offence relating to a serious accident or death; and

(g) any other related matters.

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave is granted for one minute.

All sides of politics are united on the need to prevent deaths and injuries in the workplace. The government is currently conducting a review of the leading causes of fatalities in the building and construction industry. This will feed into the review of the model work health and safety laws being undertaken by Safe Work Australia, the national tripartite body for work health and safety. All levels of government, unions, employers and their representatives need to continue to work together to ensure that workplace deaths are prevented and Australian workplaces are healthy and safe. The government notes the ongoing workloads of committees and committee secretariats and related concerns about additional references.

Question agreed to.