International Workers' Memorial Day

7 May 2026

Motion

Hon Andrew O'Donnell (11:34 am) without notice: I move:

That this house:

(a) recognises Tuesday 28 April was International Workers' Memorial Day, a day to reflect on the lives lost as a result of work-related injuries and illness;

(b) affirms that all people who go to work deserve to go home safely;

(c) recognises the advances that have been made to workplace safety in the past nine years; and

(d) acknowledges there is always more that can be done, and commits to further support improvements to workplace safety.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas (12:07 pm) : Thank you, Acting President, for an opportunity to make a contribution to this motion. I say at the outset that, obviously, the opposition and every thinking person understands the concept that people should be safe at work. People should be able to drive or travel to work safely, perform their tasks safely and get home safely. I do not imagine any person in any Parliament in Australia believes that that should be anything different. It is obviously the case that all well-meaning people think that that should be the case. Obviously, it is not always the case.

In response to the minister, I thought his response was very measured, and I thank him for that. I liked the fact that he acknowledged that most employers do try to do the right thing. I am absolutely a firm believer in that. I was someone who ran a business and employed people. I was not a big employer. My employee numbers ranged from one employee when I started the business to about six or seven, ultimately, over a couple of decades. Interestingly, you do take an enormous interest in their welfare. I had a vet practice, so we were training students at the same time, and, because you train them, you invest a lot of time and money in them, and you do want to look after them.

In fact, it is the case for a lot of small businesses in particular that the owner of the business will make sure that they take on all the high-risk jobs to try to look after and maintain safety amongst their staff. That is exactly what I used to do. The veterinary practice is one of the most high-risk industries in the country. The insurance premiums are usually in the top tier or second tier. People are dealing with large animals in particular and even the small ones bite, scratch and all the rest of it. It is a highly dangerous occupation. In a lot of the places I went to in the early days, I would have to say that the facilities were rudimentary to primitive in many cases. When things went wrong, it was usually because what we had to work with was insufficient. That is very common.

I forget the exact words of the minister Hon Matthew Swinbourn, but he basically said that in his view, a significant majority of employers are trying to do the right thing.

Hon Matthew Swinbourn: He said overwhelming.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Overwhelming, thank you. I could not remember the exact word he used.

I think that is exactly the case. I do not think any thinking person would either oppose the thought that people should be able to work safely or that most employers are out there trying to do the right thing. Of course, there are always a few cowboys out there and we understand that. People play loose with the rules. That probably mostly applies to employers, but occasionally employees put the rules aside, forget the safety training they have had and do things that put themselves at risk. We cannot legislate away effective common sense. We cannot make everybody do everything exactly as it should be done all the time and we understand that. We understand there are circumstances we cannot control.

I have to say that what I have found most interesting about the contributions so far is the glorification of the union movement as a part of the process. I thought that was wonderful. The mover of the motion, Hon Andrew O'Donnell—what workers union did he think did a very good job?

Hon Andrew O'Donnell interjected.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: The Transport Workers' Union of Australia. Is he a member of the Transport Workers' Union? No? Okay. All right. I wonder whether the Labor Party has advanced its preselection process by a year and members are getting a bit of good publicity in advance.

Several members interjected.

I am sure my good friend Minister Hon Matthew Swinbourn has always been an advocate and a staunch supporter of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Builders Labourers Federation and the construction and mining industry union. I am just making sure.

I actually thought Hon Kate Doust's contribution was a bit bereft of union worship and I am just wondering whether that indicates perhaps that preselection might not be quite as firmly on her mind this time. Will I be waiting for an announcement of retirement, Hon Kate Doust? Potentially there will be a retirement announcement in the not-too-distant future because Hon Kate Doust was very focused—

Hon Kate Doust: I am a very proud SDA member, my friend.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas:—but she did not put it into her speech. She has added it in now. I will wait with great interest to see which unions are supporting whom and whether there is a retirement announcement from Hon Kate Doust. Until she was prompted, I did not think she had given the unions a sufficient amount of largess.

Hon Kate Doust: I can get up this afternoon and do it again if you'd like.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: It is too late to seek an extension now.

The Acting President (Hon Simon Ehrenfeld): Members, I will see this a little closer back to relevance if we can, thanks.

Hon Kate Doust: I will give you 45 minutes next week on retail barring.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Excellent.

Hon Kate Doust: I will make a talk all about unions.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: I am quite happy. That preselection might be all right after all.

Hon Dan Caddy: Then you might retire, member.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: We will see how that works. I do not have the unions to kowtow to so it does not quite work the same. Let us see where we get to.

Hon Dan Caddy: At least our preselections are a process.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: That is right. It is all a numbers game; I understand that. That is where members are going to.

Hon Dan Caddy: Far be it from us to recognise the union movement as it advanced workplace safety.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Well, you know, far be it to highlight union activity in a debate in this place. I still think this is entirely about early preselections going forward. Members are probably working out how they are going to put preselections together for the 2029 state election. I understand that. That is the game we are in. I hope Hon Kate Doust's nomination is in. I am a huge fan and supporter. If I had a vote, I would give her a plug, but we will see how we go. Hon Bill Johnston might appreciate her coming home more often if she does not put a hand up, but let us see. I have great respect for the man.

Hon Kate Doust: Are you a marriage counsellor now?

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Like most marriages, you do not know whether you are better off closer together or further apart. If we can get beyond the unions in this particular debate—I am not sure that we can—I will just say that I like the part of this motion that recognises International Workers' Memorial Day. That is well done. Obviously, we all think the people deserve, as in part (b), to go to work and go home safely. Obviously, any sensible thinking person does that but I like parts (c) and (d). Part (c) states:

recognises the advances that have been made to workplace safety in the past nine years;

I know Hon Andrew O'Donnell is a young member, but there were improvements more than nine years ago. The world existed before that.

Hon Kate Doust interjected.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: We can go all the way back to the 1950s, if you like, Hon Kate Doust. The whole thing did not just start with the McGowan and Cook governments. There is a bit more to life and this particular argument than the McGowan and Cook governments. I do not have time today in a 10 minute contribution to go through all the other things that we instated. It is a very different world from the one from perhaps when I was born and years prior to that. We do not have time to go through all that, though there were things that happened prior to this government taking over and perhaps becoming the centre of the universe.

Several members interjected.

The Acting President: Order, order.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: They do not like it, Acting President. They do not like it!

Several members interjected.

The Acting President: Order!

Point of order

Hon Dr Brian Walker: I am unable to hear what is being spoken about. This is ridiculous.

The Acting President: I have called order, thank you.

Proceeding resumed

Hon Dan Caddy: Tell us about Graham Kierath.

The Acting President: Honourable member.

Hon Kate Doust: And Kevin Prince!

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: I knew them both well—knew, in one case.

We are going to run out of time here. I have a very short period of time. That was part (c). Nothing happened until the election of the Mark McGowan Labor government, apparently. It is straight back there with preselections, Hon Andrew O'Donnell. It is a Thursday morning.

Part (d) states:

acknowledges there is always more that can be done, and commits to further support improvements to workplace safety.

Did the McGowan government fix the problem or not? The member has said that all this wonderful stuff has been done in the last nine years, and apparently nothing happened before that. In the meantime, there have been nine years of McGowan and Cook governments, but there is still more to be done. Of course there is still more to be done. There is always more to be done. Before members pat themselves on the back for all the good work these particular Labor governments have done—

Hon Klara Andric interjected.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: I am waiting for your speech, Hon Klara Andric. I am waiting for that one.

There has been all this good work and there is still more to be done. Sure. Absolutely—there is still more to be done, but rather than the four parts of this motion, I think I will go to the three parts we are actually dealing with. The first is an acknowledgement of the issue. I think we all acknowledge the issue, believe it should happen and that people should be able to come back safely from their day's work. The second is obviously a shout-out to the union movement. I understand that. That is what these motions are all about. Preselection is at risk, so we have to get to that component. Then there is third part that goes, "There is still more to be done." I like that. There is still more to be done. We still have to go further. Ultimately, we will never completely eliminate workplace risk.

Several members interjected.

The Acting President: Order, order.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: We can never completely eliminate workplace—

The Acting President: Order. There are children in the gallery, thank you.

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Yes. Set a better example, you lot! Dear oh dear.

This is workplace safety in action. I expect a better set of behaviour from the members opposite.

Hon Julie Freeman: Are you feeling a bit psychologically unsafe?

Hon Dr Steve Thomas: I might be! On that note, Acting President.