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<hansard id="" tocId="" xml:lang="EN-AU" schemaVersion="1.0" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xml="http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2007/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="hansard_1_0.xsd">
  <name>Legislative Council</name>
  <date date="2022-06-02" />
  <sessionName>Fifty-Fifth Parliament Parliament, First Session (55-1)</sessionName>
  <parliamentNum>55</parliamentNum>
  <sessionNum>1</sessionNum>
  <parliamentName>Parliament of South Australia</parliamentName>
  <house>Legislative Council</house>
  <venue></venue>
  <reviewStage>published</reviewStage>
  <startPage num="407" />
  <endPage num="448" />
  <dateModified time="2022-08-06T14:30:00+00:00" />
  <proceeding continued="true">
    <name>Question Time</name>
    <subject>
      <name>ReturnToWorkSA Board</name>
      <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000496">
        <heading>ReturnToWorkSA Board</heading>
      </text>
      <talker role="member" id="6802" kind="question">
        <name>The Hon. R.A. SIMMS</name>
        <house>Legislative Council</house>
        <questions>
          <question date="2022-06-02">
            <name>ReturnToWorkSA Board</name>
          </question>
        </questions>
        <startTime time="2022-06-02T14:59:03" />
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000497">
          <timeStamp time="2022-06-02T14:59:03" />
          <by role="member" id="6802">The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:59):</by>  I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question on the topic of injured workers to the Minister for Industrial Relations.</text>
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000498">Leave granted.</text>
      </talker>
      <talker role="member" id="6802" kind="question" continued="true">
        <name>The Hon. R.A. SIMMS</name>
        <house>Legislative Council</house>
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000499">
          <by role="member" id="6802">The Hon. R.A. SIMMS:</by>  Earlier today, representatives of a number of South Australian unions sent a letter to Labor MPs. In that letter, it was stated that, as reported in InDaily:</text>
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000500">
          <inserted>…the Return To Work SA board has 'undertaken no steps—</inserted>
        </text>
        <text continued="true" id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000501">this is from the union officials—</text>
        <text continued="true" id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000502">
          <inserted>to ensure the scheme was adequately funded'…</inserted>
        </text>
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000503">
          <inserted>'Instead, they have allowed the underfunding of the scheme to develop to a point where they have threatened a massive increase in the RTW Levy unless the government cuts entitlements,' the letter said.</inserted>
        </text>
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000504">
          <inserted>'The unelected Board of a government agency should not be making law. That's not their job; it's yours.'</inserted>
        </text>
        <text continued="true" id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000505">It says to the Labor MPs. The letter goes on to say, according to InDaily, that they have:</text>
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000506">
          <inserted>…'lost faith' in the organisation's board and management, arguing RTW's 'mismanagement of injured workers' entitlements [has] led to this ultimatum being placed at the feet of your government'.</inserted>
        </text>
        <text continued="true" id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000507">My question to the minister therefore is: why hasn't he met with the ReturnToWork board and does he have concerns about the lack of representation of unions and working people on the board?</text>
      </talker>
      <talker role="member" id="4697" kind="answer">
        <name>The Hon. K.J. MAHER</name>
        <house>Legislative Council</house>
        <portfolios>
          <portfolio id="">
            <name>Attorney-General</name>
          </portfolio>
          <portfolio id="">
            <name>Minister for Aboriginal Affairs</name>
          </portfolio>
          <portfolio id="">
            <name>Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector</name>
          </portfolio>
        </portfolios>
        <startTime time="2022-06-02T15:00:36" />
        <text id="20220602a6f99444bb0a4aac80000508">
          <timeStamp time="2022-06-02T15:00:36" />
          <by role="member" id="4697">The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:00):</by>  I thank the honourable member for his question. Certainly, I had discussions with the department, who liaise with the board. Do I have concerns? Yes, I do.</text>
      </talker>
    </subject>
  </proceeding>
</hansard>