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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-04 Daily Xml
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International Workers Memorial Day

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (14:48): My question is for the Attorney-General in his role as the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister please advise the council about this year's International Workers Memorial Day.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:48): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in workers' rights and note his once former role as an advocate and protector of workers' rights at a trade union, a very noble profession.

Each year, 28 April is International Workers Memorial Day, an international day of remembrance and recognition for workers killed or injured by work-related accidents and illnesses. As I have mentioned in this place before, every worker deserves the right to come home safely to their families and loved ones at the end of each working day.

April 28 is an important opportunity to reflect on those workers who tragically never got that opportunity. It's also an important opportunity for us as policymakers to reflect on and renew our commitment to improving work health and safety and building a safer community for all South Australians.

Health and safety is a critical element of what governments do, whether it is through things like industrial manslaughter laws that we hope to be discussing in parliament later this year or reforms to SafeWork SA arising from an independent review conducted last year. It is an area where all governments must always strive to do better because every death is a tragedy and every death is in some way preventable.

In Adelaide, International Workers Memorial Day is marked each year by a moving service at the Pilgrim Uniting Church. Due to a meeting of attorneys-general on at the same time, I was, unfortunately, unable to attend this year's service, but I have been privileged to attend past years' services. However, I am grateful that numerous members of this chamber attended this year's service, including the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, the Hon. Connie Bonaros and the Hon. Tammy Franks, who are regular attendees at the service at Pilgrim Uniting Church. I am very pleased that the Hon. Andrea Michaels, the member for Enfield, attended and was able to deliver an address at the service.

This year's service was marked by a Welcome to Country by Corey Turner from Southern Cultural Immersion and then a candle lighting ceremony and readings from SafeWork SA Executive Director, Glenn Farrell; as I mentioned, the Hon. Andrea Michaels; SA Unions Secretary, Dale Beasley; Reverend John Hughes; Ms Carmel Schwartz; Ms Lesley Shears; Ms Laura Birchmore; Ms Penny Jacomos; and Ms Andrea Madeley.

I must acknowledge the extraordinary work of Andrea Madeley from the Voice of Industrial Death for organising, once again, this poignant event. Andrea's son, Daniel, was tragically killed in a workplace incident in 2004 and Andrea has devoted much of her time, life and energy since then supporting other families who have lost people due to workplace incidents.

Andrea is a very important advocate in South Australia for work health and safety and for better accountability in the regulation. I personally, and my office, have greatly appreciated, on many occasions, Andrea's insight into matters such as industrial manslaughter legislation, which we are presently consulting on, and a whole array of other areas. I might finish my contribution with the oft-repeated refrain of International Workers Memorial Day that it is to 'remember the dead, but fight for the living'.

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