Workplace occupational health and safety (OH&S) is a serious matter and it is Labor’s intention to make this a top priority of government.
One of the most significant threats to OH&S in Australia is the illegal importation of asbestos. Australia has one of the highest global rates of asbestos-related diseases and more Australians die each year from asbestos-related diseases than the number of our fellow citizens killed in road accidents.
While the importation of asbestos is banned in Australia, there have been reports of suspected contamination of more than 50 building sites across the nation as a result of illegal asbestos imports from China.
In 2013 the former Labor Government established the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) because we recognised the importance of dealing with the extremely significant risks asbestos poses to the community. The CEO of the ASEA, Peter Tighe, describes the emerging problem of asbestos importation as growing exponentially, as more products are being brought into the country.
Safe Work Australia concedes that “Despite being a prohibited import in Australia, goods containing asbestos are still being located at the Australian border”.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s response to the repeated examples of illegal asbestos importation has been wholly inadequate.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will move to establish a Senate committee inquiry into the illegal importation of asbestos. Labor will propose that the committee inquiry be wide-ranging and include a specific review of the Customs Act to ensure its provisions adequately regulate the importation of asbestos.
Labor expects that the scope of the inquiry will enable the committee to make recommendations concerning the policing of our borders and on keeping Australia free of this insidious substance.
In February 2016, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection announced that Australian Border Force (ABF) had initiated an independent review of Australia’s asbestos border control management, which was to examine the effectiveness of Australia’s asbestos border control as enforced by the ABF.
However, this “independent inquiry”, was conducted over just four weeks, had narrowly constructed terms of reference and did not consult with all affected parties.
Unlike the Turnbull Liberal Government, Labor will consult with all affected parties as we develop the terms of reference for the committee inquiry that we will propose to the Senate. Labor believes it is not only important to include employers, employer groups and unions, but also asbestos disease support organisations that represent the very people who have been deeply and personally affected by the tragic consequences asbestos exposure can have. A Senate committee inquiry will enable groups and individuals to make submissions consistent with the terms of references and in some cases, give evidence.
Labor acknowledges the tragic preventable deaths that can result from asbestos exposure and it is our intention that recommendations of this committee inquiry will form the basis of policy responses that will ensure a proper total ban on asbestos is enforced.