WORKERS REHABILITATION AND COMPENSATION (CHANGES TO SCHEME REVIEW PROVISIONS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 18 February 2009. Page 1335.)

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON (18:13): Opposition members will not support this bill, which seeks to unwind the government's workers rehabilitation compensation package that the opposition reluctantly supported previously—a bill forced upon us by the mismanagement of the WorkCover Corporation and the neglect of the government and the minister.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (18:13): Government members will oppose the bill. I draw members' attention to the remarks I made a few moments ago in reference to a very similar bill moved by the Hon. Mr Parnell.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (18:14): It is with disappointment that I hear that the opposition and the government will not support this bill. I thought they may have had a change of heart for the workers. I have heard the Hon. Bernie Finnigan, a man for whom I have a lot of time, say how important—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Should the government be returned, I foreshadow that he will be a minister, sitting on the front bench in the Legislative Council, and I hope that does not work against Bernie. The present situation is wrong and unfair for workers. I cannot believe that the legislation was ever introduced by the government. Whilst we introduced amendments similar to the Hon. Mr Parnell's amendments of about 12 months ago, our bill also contained amendments about self-insurers. The rip-off that WorkCover is charging people who want to get out and self-insure is unbelievable. We moved a disallowance on that. In case members have not seen the Gazette, that is back on. Having said that, I will not be dividing because I can see that there has been no change of heart by either of the major parties. I think that our crossbench colleagues understand that, if you are injured (not even severely) to a point where it is 13 weeks before you can get back to work, your family suffers as a result of this government's very disappointing legislative amendments to WorkCover that it brought in last year.

Second reading negatived.