25       Industrial Relations— Industrial deaths

Senator O’Neill, also on behalf of Senator Bilyk, pursuant to notice of motion not objected to as a formal motion, moved general business notice of motion no. 644—That the Senate—

(a)              recognises that:

(i)                    since the report of the Senate Education and Employment References Committee They never came home - the framework surrounding the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia in late 2018, 190 workers have lost their lives in the workplace,

(ii)                  as of 4 June 2020, 78 Australian workers have died on the job this year, and

(iii)                these preventable workplace fatalities highlight the urgent need for industrial manslaughter laws to protect workers;

(b)              congratulates the Victorian, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Northern Territory governments for passing comprehensive industrial manslaughter laws; and

(c)              calls on the Federal Government to act on the recommendations of the They never came home  report, which has been gathering dust since October 2018.

Statement by leave : The Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries (Senator Duniam), by leave, made a statement relating to the motion.

Question put.

The Senate divided—

AYES, 30

Senators—

NOES, 27

Senators—

* Tellers

Question agreed to.