Question Time: WorkCover Board Arrangements
Ms BURNET question to ATTORNEY-GENERAL, Mr BARNETT
[10.58 a.m.]
Thank you, honourable Speaker. Yesterday's Labor motion shone a light on the workers compensation system, the review currently in train, and the role of the WorkCover board there to advise the government on the system and any reforms. An independent review of the WorkSafe board was undertaken, then a report tabled in parliament in November 2021. That review acknowledged that under the act, the board's chair must be the secretary of the Department of Justice, but there were two concerns highlighted in the report: workload and conflict of interest. The review concluded that the secretary should not chair the board and the act should be amended to allow for the appointment of the independent chair. An independent chair is essential for public confidence. Why, five years on, has the government still not acted on this recommendation?
ANSWER
I thank the honourable member for her question and interest in this matter, and I think it's fair to say that members of parliament, in this Chamber at least, spoke very strongly and comprehensively through the course of the day. I will not reflect on the motion, but I can speak to the question and the issue of workers compensation and the need for a fair, balanced and sustainable workers compensation system like other jurisdictions.
Mr Abetz - Labor jurisdictions.
Mr BARNETT - Like Labor jurisdictions in New South Wales and Victoria that have made significant reforms and are desperately leaning into the reforms to deliver a balanced and sustainable system.
Ms BURNET - Honourable Speaker, Standing Order 45. The question was around the WorkCover board.
The SPEAKER - I ask the honourable AttorneyGeneral to return to the substance of the question.
Mr BARNETT - Of course, the WorkCover board is designed to be the board with respect to operating the workers compensation scheme and I was speaking directly to the importance of a balanced and sustainable workers compensation scheme. I've met with the board in recent months. I appreciate the work of the board and, as you know, it has a whole range of members. The secretary of Justice is the chair of the board, and I appreciate her leadership and her efforts in this regard to ensure a sustainable, balanced and responsible system going forward. That's why they have released a review. They are now consulting on the terms of reference of that review and I'm very pleased that they are.
I talked to the secretary; they're getting feedback from all the key stakeholders, from union groups, from businesses, TCCI, Tasmanian Small Business Council and the like. That's very important. Once that is sorted there will be a process for an independent entity to undertake that review, consistent with the terms of reference. I'm pleased about that. Yesterday, I read the objectives of that review into the Hansard, and that's all about improving the system and ensuring that we can get our workers protected in terms of getting them back to work sooner wherever possible. It talks about supporting employees who sustain a workrelated injury or illness to recover and get back to work. That's what we're on about. That's the objective, and I have confidence in the WorkCover board.
Supplementary Question
Ms BURNET - Thank you, AttorneyGeneral, for that answer, but the question was about the independence of the chair of the board. It is now the secretary of the Department of Justice. Why, five years on, has the government still not acted on the recommendation to have an independent chair?
Mr BARNETT - Thanks very much, Speaker, and I thank the honourable member for her supplementary question. Of course, the chair of the board is a secretary of the Department of Justice. She's undertaking that role and, as I say, I've met with the board in recent months. I appreciate the work that they do and I have every confidence in the chair of the board.