Labour Hire Licensing (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 20 February 2020.)

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:01): I rise to put on the record the Greens' position on this bill. Not for the first time have the Greens made their intentions known on labour hire licensing legislation for this state. Indeed, under the Weatherill government it was a hard-fought campaign and a very close vote to pass the original legislation which, of course, was then the subject in this Marshall government of a repeal bill seeking to not have this legislation progress at all.

We have seen several incarnations now of attempts to water down labour hire licensing in this state. We are told that it is too expensive, it is too hard, it is too tricky, and every excuse in the book has been placed into the public realm to somehow neuter laws that I think we should have been very proud, as a parliament, to pass and have seen implemented well before they were.

The scheme has now started up and there are some what you would call teething problems; however, the attitude of this government to stymie, delay and obfuscate and say that it is all too hard to implement does not imbue the Greens with trust. So while we will support the second reading of this bill, we reserve our right to oppose it at the third reading stage. I understand that the Labor Party has amendments that may seek to alleviate some of the concerns raised, to hone this legislation so that it does indeed target those it most needs to.

However, we put on the record that we do not resile from the very worthy principle that this parliament passed under the Weatherill government: that we need protection for those workers in the labour hire industry who are the most vulnerable and the most exploited workers, and if it costs more to ensure that they are not made so vulnerable, that they are not exploited, then so be it. If the government wishes to save money, we suggest they save money elsewhere.

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