Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:673;Page:19681] 
9. 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: Does she have confidence the Government is doing everything possible to ensure health and safety in the workplace? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 Yes but we are constantly looking at what more we can do to ensure health and safety in the workplace. Ultimately under our legislation the responsibility lies with employers to provide safe workplaces. This Government is working hard with business to promote a stronger safety culture. 
Darien Fenton 
: Does she believe that training workplace health and safety representatives is an important means of ensuring health and safety in the workplace; if so what response would she have to the Minister for ACC’s claim at the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee this morning that the generic training of workplace health and safety representatives is a touchy-feely notion? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: I understand that 6000 places for training were offered and only 4000 people took them up so we have an issue with workplace culture and with encouraging both employers and employees to make sure that their workmates are safe. 
Darien Fenton 
: In light of recent tragedies such as the Pike River mine disaster will she reconsider her decision to restrict union organisers’ access to workplaces for health and safety reasons which was a decision she took against departmental advice? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: No. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Does the Minister still stand by her response to me in a letter dated 10 June 2010 in which she said: “I do not see any need for a review of the current mines inspection regime.” and does this mean that she will do nothing to improve mine safety until 2013 when the royal commission is due to report back? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: In response to the first part of the question yes. In response to the second part no. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: I seek leave to table two documents— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is this a point of order? [ 
Interruption 
] What do I need to do? 
Hon Member 
: Chuck her out. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. I have just given Labour back its extra supplementary question; Labour now has 28 supplementary questions today. Ministers will learn to stop interjecting when a point of order is called. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: I seek leave to table two documents. The first is a letter from me to the Minister dated 6 May 2010 in which I alert the Minister to deficiencies in the mines regulations. The second is the Minister’s response to me dated 10 June 2010 in which she refuses to do anything. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Members must not describe a letter in that way—“refuses to do anything”. What do I do about that? When members do not use the point of order procedure properly— 
Hon Simon Power 
: Take a supplementary off them! 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There will be no more interjections. When members do not use the point of order properly it makes it very difficult. Leave is sought to table a document. Let me hear the description of the first letter again. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: The first document is a letter I wrote to the Minister raising issues of concern in relation to safety in mines. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And the date of that letter? 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: The date is 6 May 2010. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that letter. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: The second document is the Minister’s response to me dated 10 June 2010. In the letter the Minister refuses to take up my advice to review the regulations. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection on that occasion.