Scissor Lifts

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:09): Supplementary: can I just say that the Treasurer's swipe at the Coroner and his office is really quite disingenuous. Are you saying that you are dismissing not only these findings but other findings that are made by the Coroner in serious matters that affect workplace safety and other matters, and will you accept responsibility if there is another incident?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:10): I certainly don't interpret anything I have said as a swipe at the current Coroner. What I have said is that as minister I don't just automatically accept even a well-informed opinion from a coroner as being something that I as minister and the government of the day automatically have to accept and implement. Governments are elected to govern, coroners are elected to give opinions in relation to the particular cases they investigate.

The former Labor government, when royal commissions have made recommendations, on occasions have not implemented all the recommendations of a royal commission. Equally well-informed royal commissions, I am sure, but ultimately Labor governments—as have former Liberal governments—have to make judgements in relation to the informed advice they get from royal commissioners or coroners—or indeed court decisions for that matter—and then make their judgement.

They need to be judged and we need to be judged accordingly by the people of the state. I have no problems with that. I don't interpret that as a swipe at the Coroner at all. That's the characterisation that the Hon. Mr Pangallo has used. I interpret it as just a sensible operation of government in relation to just not automatically accepting every view that a royal commissioner, for example, gives us, or indeed a coroner does.