Workplace Injuries

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Industrial Relations and the Public Sector regarding workplace injuries of trainees and apprentices in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: SafeWork SA recently revealed that some 34 incidents involving apprentices or trainees were reported to the safety regulator in the first six months of this year alone, with 49 incidents over the whole of last year, and 47 in the previous year. Over two-thirds of these accidents occurred on construction sites, perhaps not surprisingly. SafeWork SA's Executive Director, Glenn Farrell, cited youth and inexperience as reasons for trainees and apprentices being the most vulnerable to injuries, and he stated, and I quote:

Workplace incidents are preventable when good safety processes are in place and followed…These figures should send a clear message regarding employer obligations to keep apprentices safe at work.

My questions to the industrial relations minister are:

1. Has the minister met with SafeWork SA representatives in recent weeks concerning these increases in workplace accidents involving trainees and apprentices in particular since the statistics were released?

2. What action is being taken by the state government in response to this specific issue, as it is of great concern to many of us?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:57): I thank the honourable member for his question. As I not infrequently say when the honourable member asks a question, they are often incisive questions. The honourable member often asks questions about the justice system in South Australia and keeping people safe, and I don't say it lightly when I say that the Hon. Dennis Hood asks questions because of his genuine commitment to South Australians.

I think, before I answer, that I might also, in reflecting on how the Hon. Dennis Hood conducts himself, reflect on last night's proceedings and the pairing arrangement that occurred. I am happy to say what I have said to others that in my experience the Hon. Dennis Hood is one of the most honourable people I have come across in parliament. In his time with the Family First Party and his time with the Liberal Party there has not been a single occasion where the Hon. Dennis Hood has said he is going to do something and then does something different. I think that reflects well upon him. I think some of the efforts from last night do not reflect well upon all of us.

Just yesterday, the very first thing we voted on was to provide medical leave to the Hon. Michelle Lensink. That was at the request of the opposition who outlined—and I was tempted to outline the conversations I had with the opposition about the Hon. Michelle Lensink's treatment, but I won't stoop to revealing personal conversations because I think it's important that we keep that level of trust here—but the opposition outlined to me the treatment and the stage of the Hon. Michelle Lensink's battle against breast cancer and requested that we grant leave for her from parliament. That was the very first thing we voted on yesterday.

We fast-forward a number of hours later to last night, and I have seen the email from the Hon. Michelle Lensink that has her paired, with Jing Lee's permission. I have talked to our whip, who talked directly to Jing Lee—

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Jing Lee.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —the Deputy Leader of the Opposition—one earns the title 'Honourable', sir. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition spoke directly to the Hon. Ian Hunter, the Government Whip, confirming that pairing arrangement. I have never seen in my time here—I have been a member for over a decade. I first worked as a Chief of Staff to a Legislative Council minister some 22 years ago. We have talked to members who have been here since the mid-eighties. No-one can recall a single occasion in living memory when someone has dishonoured a pairing arrangement in this chamber. It is unprecedented.

With a chamber of just 22 people, we have to deal with each other very closely and very intimately every single day we come into this chamber. Once you breach that trust, it is very, very difficult to get back. I have certainly spoken with my team today and made it very clear, if any of us ever did something like that, I would seek to have any positions they hold in this parliament removed.

I would call on the Leader of the Opposition in this place to explain what she is going to do in terms of her team member who broke decades of convention that allows this place to operate effectively, particularly when just hours before we had voted to give the Hon. Ms Lensink leave and, having revoked, having dishonoured, having been so duplicitous as to remove that pair, the Hon. Michelle Lensink started to make her way down to this chamber at about 10 o'clock at night while she is battling cancer. That is the single most disgraceful thing I have seen in this chamber.

The PRESIDENT: Attorney, can you come back to the question?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am about to get there, sir. The Hon. Ben Hood was asked a question today, and he just sat there. That tells you everything you need to know. I think the Hon. Ben Hood at some stage can't keep ducking and weaving and will have to come clean on what his involvement was in the breach of the pairing arrangement that makes this chamber and makes this place work.

Having said that, again I want to pay tribute to the Hon. Dennis Hood. From all commentary you have heard today, I think the Hon. Dennis Hood quite rightly has come out of the whole sorry episode from last night looking like one of the most honourable, reasonable people there. In relation to his question—

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Point of order, Mr President. Can the Attorney—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Please answer the question, and let's move on.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In relation to the safety of apprentices and trainees at work, SafeWork do a remarkable job in terms of their proactiveness, their media campaigns and other information awareness for work health and safety. I regularly meet with the regulator, SafeWork SA, and officials about the work that they are doing in a whole range of areas. They have many campaigns over a whole range of industries and segments. I will be more than happy to undertake, the next time I have one of my regular meetings with the regulator, SafeWork SA, to raise the concerns and to acknowledge, when I have that meeting, the concerns of the Hon. Dennis Hood for keeping South Australians safe at work.