Parliamentary Committees

Parliamentary Committee on Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation: ANNUAL Report 2017-18

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:58): I move:

That the 2017-18 report of the committee be noted.

This report provides an overview of the activities undertaken by the Parliamentary Committee on Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation in the Fifty-Third and Fifty-Fourth Parliaments, between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018, and provides some update on the committee's ongoing activities in the latter half of 2018.

The presiding member of the committee in the Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session, during the reporting period, was the Hon. Steph Key. I think it is on the record here on a number of occasions that the Hon. Ms Key showed great leadership as the presiding member of that committee and also of the Natural Resources Committee. As I have said many times before, it was a pleasure to sit on committees under her chairmanship.

Other members were Ms Nat Cook MP until the 26 September 2017; myself; the Hon. Justin Hanson MLC; the then Mr Stephan Knoll, the member for Schubert; and the Hon. Jennifer Rankine, the then member for Wright from 26 September 2017, replacing Ms Cook. Actually, I think there is a name missing there; the Hon. Mr Darley has been left off that list. That is inadvertent, but the Hon. Mr Darley was on that committee for the whole of the Fifty-Third Parliament—and before that, I believe.

The membership of the committee in the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session, is as follows: Mr Stephen Patterson MP, who is the presiding member; myself; the Hon. Tammy Franks MLC; Mr Jon Gee, the member for Taylor; Mr Steve Murray, the member for Davenport; and the Hon. Tung Ngo MLC. This committee was appointed on 3 May 2018, and Mr Patterson was appointed subsequently, as I said, as the presiding member at its first meeting.

The staff arrangements are worth commenting on, because I think this committee, like many others, has had very good service from a range of staff over some time. The committee was supported by long-serving executive officer Sue Sedivy between 1 July 2017 and 8 September that year, and research officer Peter Knapp between 1 July and 20 August 2017. Ms Peta Spyrou supported the committee as research officer on a part-time basis between 14 September and 17 November 2017, and from 29 August until 22 December 2017 Mr Peter Knapp acted in the executive officer role.

From 23 December 2017, Anthea Howard supported the committee in the executive officer role—which has now been renamed 'parliamentary officer'—in an acting and part-time capacity until very recently. I pay tribute to the work of Anthea Howard. In addition to her duties as a parliamentary officer in the House of Assembly, her service to the committee was exemplary, and I thank her for that.

The committee's activities during the reporting period were interrupted between the prorogation of the Second Session of the Fifty-Third Parliament in December 2017 for the state election and May 2018, when the new parliament commenced. The new committee was constituted for only a short time during this reporting period. Within the reporting period during the Fifty-Third Parliament the committee completed three reports.

The new committee appointed in the Fifty-Fourth Parliament met for the first time, as I said earlier, in May 2018 and considered a referral to it from the Legislative Council dated 1 November 2017 regarding SafeWork SA prosecutions into South Australian workplace fatalities since 2010, with particular reference to the death of Jorge Castillo-Riffo. At its last meeting, the committee constituted by the Fifty-Third Parliament proposed that the incoming committee consider this referral but that it consider that such an inquiry would be assisted by the Coroner's findings in the inquest into Mr Castillo-Riffo's death.

The committee constituted by the current parliament considered this referral and determined that it should await the Coroner's findings before proceeding with such an inquiry. The committee was also conscious that the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption had also announced an evaluation of the activities of SafeWork SA on 10 May 2018. The new committee subsequently resolved to commence an inquiry into workplace fatigue and bullying in South Australian hospitals and health services.

The following reports were finalised and tabled in both houses of parliament during the reporting period of the Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session: the 29^th Report: Briefing Report—Work Health and Safety concerns related to the Home Care and Support of South Australians with a Disability and Elderly South Australians; the 11^th annual report of the committee; and the 28^th Report: Inquiry into the Return to Work Act and Scheme.

The following ministerial responses to committee inquiries were received during the reporting period: work-related mental disorders and suicide prevention, with a response from the minister for industrial relations on 4 August 2017; industrial manslaughter, with a response from the minister for industrial relations on 4 August 2017; and there was the 67 is the new 40 inquiry—and as I approach that number I think I will endorse that—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Are you almost 40, Dawkins?

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Yes, I wish—and the response for that came in from the ministers for industrial relations, health, higher education and skills and ageing on 28 September 2017. Finally, the report on the Return to Work Act and scheme came to the committee from the Treasurer on 29 June 2018.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I enjoy the work of that committee. I am the only continuing member from the previous parliament, and I am enjoying working with those members who have joined the committee. Some are new members of parliament, some are continuing MPs but new to the committee.

I mentioned the work of Anthea Howard. I think there was a very long period when the committee had only an acting parliamentary officer, someone who was having to do that work along with her other duties for the House of Assembly. I think it was a pity that the delay went on for so long because previously that committee had been served by only one officer, Sue Sedivy, for a long time. The workload of the committee and the previous parliament was eventually recognised by the addition of a research officer.

Unfortunately, under some of the changed arrangements in the administration of committees from the House of Assembly, we saw the departure of a number of those people. It was for that quite lengthy period that we had a part-time, acting person. She did a wonderful job, but I think those situations need to be avoided. I am pleased that very recently the committee was joined by two new staff members. I look forward, as I think other members of the committee do, to working with our parliamentary officer Simon and research officer Eugene. I commend the motion to the council.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.