Resources Safety Division - Department of Mines and Petroleum - Motion

Extract from Hansard

Hon Jon Ford; Hon Norman Moore; Hon Sue Ellery; Hon Robin Chapple; Hon Kate Doust; Hon Alison Xamon; Hon Matt Benson-Lidholm

HON JON FORD (Mining and Pastoral) [10.05 am] — without notice: I move —

     That this house calls on the government to initiate an open and comprehensive inquiry into the effectiveness of the Resources Safety division of the Department of Mines and Petroleum and its inspectorate in protecting Western Australian workers employed in the front line of resource development.

HON ALISON XAMON (East Metropolitan) [11.01 am]: Mr President, I rise to speak to this motion.

Hon Norman Moore interjected.

Hon Kate Doust interjected.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Both the Leader of the House and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, please come to order. I have given the call to Hon Alison Xamon and I cannot hear her over your banter.

Hon ALISON XAMON: Thank you, Mr President. I rise also to speak to this motion and to share my deep concerns about the sorts of allegations that are being levelled at the effectiveness of the department to be able to respond appropriately to issues of worker safety. I am very concerned when I hear allegations of people who wish to raise legitimate issues of safety in the mines feeling too intimidated or discouraged to do so, and lacking confidence in a government department to take them seriously because of concerns about a culture that exists within the department.

Hon Norman Moore: Are you suggesting that is a new culture or that it has been there for a very long time?

Hon ALISON XAMON: I am not suggesting that it is new at all. I am very concerned about it and I certainly expect the government of the day to be very concerned about it as well. Since taking my seat in this place, I have heard a series of individual complaints that have been brought to the attention of the house, particularly by my colleague Hon Robin Chapple, as well as Hon Jon Ford. I feel a significant amount of disquiet when these concerns are brought to my attention. They are not unique concerns; they have also been brought to my attention specifically by members of the union movement, in this instance union officials as well as union delegates. It seems that they are raising exactly the same concerns. I do not agree that this is simply a campaign by the union movement. The reality is that we know that workers have died and that the potential for more deaths is ongoing. On that basis alone, unfortunately, the proof of the eating is in the pudding that perhaps things are not as they should be. I do not accept that it is inevitable that workers will die on the job and therefore that is okay. We need to always strive for a zero rate of deaths and we should be taking every single measure possible to ensure that.

I also note—I am happy to give credit where credit is due—that some positive measures have been made to improve mine safety. I note again that there was unanimous support within this chamber to move to the cost recovery model to ensure that we could employ more mine safety inspectors. However, I am also concerned that we are yet to see how that will be enacted. Excuse my impatience; I am impatient when it comes to workers’ lives. I am therefore keen to see how that model rolls out. I certainly hope that it will live up to expectations, because it is critical.

This issue of mine safety is particularly pertinent to us—I am aware that deaths occur right across WA in most sectors of employment—because mining is critical to Western Australia. It employs a huge number of workers. A huge number of workers live in my electorate who are part of the fly in, fly out culture. This is pretty much their first and only opportunity to accumulate any sort of financial stability. I am very supportive of their being able to achieve this. The one thing I do know is that when workers are going up north to get their opportunity to earn some money, they do not expect that they will die on the job or be seriously injured. There is a real expectation from these workers that they should be able to rely on the government and regulatory bodies to provide the necessary measures to ensure that they will be safe. Whether we like it or not, we have to recognise that sometimes the imperative to make money stands in the way of best practice safety measures. They can be conflicting priorities, and that is why it is very important that government play a very keen role in monitoring that. I am not suggesting for one second that the minister does not care about worker safety. I have not heard anyone in this place say that. I have heard people acknowledging the shared belief that no-one wants to see workers die. I certainly agree that there has been a chronic lack of action in this area, which was inherited, for too long.

I will say that, every time the issue of mine safety is raised in this place, I get really sick of what I think is a trite and inaccurate response that anyone who dares to raise issues of concern about worker safety is interested only in closing down the industry. In my instance that is an absolute lie. I also take objection to what was a rather cute response from the minister some time ago that if individual workers have some concerns, they can take them up directly with him. That showed a total lack of understanding of, firstly, how many complaints there are and, secondly, the way things work in reality. The concern by individuals here is that they will be identified and subjected to discriminatory practices when they are back on the work site. I think it is a reasonable expectation by everyone, and I imagine it is an expectation the minister will hold, that the department responsible will act on complaints quickly and impartially.

I also share Hon Kate Doust’s concerns. I want to hear some very clear statements from the minister that he is also concerned and will take effect rather than complaining about questions being brought to his attention and being wholeheartedly dismissive of anyone who dares to raise concerns.

I agree that more money is needed in this area. I have agreed for some time that we have needed more money in this area. I note that cost recovery will go some way towards that. I recognise that we have needed money in this area for at least the past 18 months while the minister has had responsibility.

Although it is fun to constantly rehash what happened in previous years or decades, ultimately I am interested in what is happening for the workers now and into the future. I understand that the minister has full confidence in his department, but I point out that his view is not shared. If the minister is really so keen to ensure that the workers are kept out of the union movement and are not able to use the issue of worker safety as an industrial tool, and I do not agree that this is occurring, then quite simply the answer is clear: make sure that everything is so squeaky clean and the confidence is so high within the department that workers will not feel that they need to join the union movement. Perhaps they want to join the union movement for a range of other issues.

It is really quite simple and easy. Very serious concerns are being raised and I am calling on the minister to stop playing politics with this and to actually investigate the issue to make sure that his department is doing its job.

The PRESIDENT: Order! One person has the call, not six members at once. Hon Alison Xamon.

Hon ALISON XAMON: I have finished, Mr President.

Motion lapsed, pursuant to temporary orders.