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Last night, I discussed with Alan Jones (Sky News) issues surrounding criminal OHS prosecutions of the Victorian government over the hotel quarantine mess. The discussion is here.

The key point is that there must be consistency in the application of the law. There cannot be one rule for the rulers and another for the people who are ruled. To do that would amount to a collapse of the rule of law in society.  More...

Today we have lodged with the Victorian WorkSafe Authority a letter requesting that the Authority prosecute the Victorian government over failures in relation to the Hotel Quarantine Containment Program. These failures have resulted in 765 deaths to date.  More...

Yesterday we wrote to the Victorian WorkCover Authority requesting them to investigate the Covid-19 hotel quarantine mess for possible breaches under the Victorian work safety laws (Occupational Health & Safety Act). Section 131 of the Act allows us to lodge such a request on the Authority who, under the Act must investigate and respond.

The Victorian government has pretty much admitted that the second Covid-19 wave outbreak happened because of the botched hotel quarantine mess in March. Hundreds of deaths have occurred following this.

If anything like this sort of scenario had happened in a private-sector business, we could be sure that a massive investigation would be undertaken by the Victorian WorkCover Authority. The investigation would look to see if prosecution should occur under the Victorian OHS Act, including application of the new manslaughter provisions. But the WorkCover Authority has done nothing over the Covid-19 disaster. More...

The construction sector has high numbers of self-employed, independent contractors, but it’s an area that has always attracted significant controversy.

While the industry is in holiday shutdown we thought subbies (in between watching cricket, fishin’ and so on) might have a minute or two to catch up on new enforcement processes important to their businesses.  More...

Western Australia goes to the polls on 11 March. It’s looking like a cliffhanger.
 
One Nation is polling at 11 per cent and fielding candidates in 45 of the 59 Lower House seats and in all Upper House seats. Its polling numbers are double those of the Greens. There’s a strong prospect that after the election government will only be formed with the support of One Nation.  More...

You might recall the process to ‘harmonize’ Australia’s work safety laws that unfolded between about 2010 and 2012. ICA campaigned on the issue closely, opposing the harmonized model that was being pushed. The outcome has been bit of a hotch-potch, with WA and Victoria staying out of the process and SA significantly changing the laws. More...

South Australia is really moving ahead for small business people on several fronts. The Small Business Commissioner will have an oversight role on work safety codes of practice. Now SA has just increased the ability of small business people to represent themselves in the magistrates court. That’s’ good! More...

Last week the South Australian Parliament finally passed new work safety (OHS) laws. It’s been about an 18-month battle as the SA Labor government tried to push through the Gillard government’s model harmonised OHS laws. The outcome in SA, however, is a major departure from the harmonised laws. We’ve summarised and commented on the key amendments here. Ken Phillips' associated Business Spectator article is here. More...

ICA has released its report and submission to a Victorian inquiry into construction union violence. The report—“It’s a long way to fall, mate!”—calls for action to prosecute violence and harassment on worksites and to investigate and address bikie gang and drug trafficking problems on Victorian construction sites. The Herald Sun has given the report major coverage today. More...