❓ The Minister for Mines and Petroleum addresses measures to protect resources industry workers from sexual assault and harassment, highlighting the MARS program and the need for companies and men to take responsibility.
AnsweredQoN 292Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RESOURCES
INDUSTRY — SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT
292. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's efforts to
ensure every Western Australian is safe at work. Can the minister update the house on the measures put in
place to protect workers in the resources industry from inappropriate behaviour, particularly sexual assault and harassment?
INDUSTRY — SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT
292. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's efforts to
ensure every Western Australian is safe at work. Can the minister update the house on the measures put in
place to protect workers in the resources industry from inappropriate behaviour, particularly sexual assault and harassment?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and raising an important
issue.
The extent of sexual harassment and other inappropriate
behaviour in the mining industry had been hidden for many years. I congratulate
Caitlyn Rintoul from The West Australian for her series of articles that
highlighted the challenges that have faced women in this state. These matters
were not being properly reported. One of the reasons they were not being
properly reported was the decision of companies to make confidential
settlements and move on, rather than bringing it to the attention of the
principal regulator, the Equal Opportunity Commission, or the commonwealth regulator, the Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission, or the health and safety regulator , which at
that time was the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. It is a bit
like the current federal Liberal government
paying $500 000 to the victim of sexual harassment from Alan Tudge, who would
be the education minister in a re-elected Liberal government. We have
seen from the #MeToo movement in the United States that the use of confidential
settlements is part of the victimisation of women in industry. We reject that
approach. We do not understand why the Liberal Party continues to use that
approach.
In December last year, along with
the Minister for Women's Interests, the Minister for Mental Health and
me as Minister for Mines and Petroleum and
the then Minister for Industrial Relations, we established the MARS program— the
Mental Awareness Respect and Safety program. I am very pleased to say that in
today's budget there is an additional $6.5 million for the MARS program
as part of our continued investment in this important issue. The initiatives
include Thrive at Work and This Mining Life, which I launched just recently at
the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy's international
conference on safety. The Thrive at Work masterclass series will focus on
building capability in human resources, safety and wellbeing for managers and
chief executives in the mining industry. This Mining Life will complement and
align with the Thrive at Work framework and provide customised training and
resources designed for frontline managers and workers, and will cover key
concepts of mental health, respect, alcohol and other drugs, and legal and moral
rights and responsibilities. We have also commissioned the Centre for
Transformative Work Design from Curtin University to do a study into the mental
health and workplace culture across Western Australia's mining sector.
We continue to respond as the issues become apparent in the sector. In the end,
there are two things we all know. The first is that companies are responsible
for health and safety at work. They have duties at law both in the Equal
Opportunity Act and under health and safety legislation. They need to meet
their responsibilities. The second thing we know is that sexual violence and
sexual harassment starts with disrespect by men. We need to accept as a society
that we need to do better. We just had a question to the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic
Violence. Domestic violence is another symptom that we are dealing with
in the mining industry. All across this state, women are suffering from these
types of issues. We all have to accept that in the end this is a problem that
men create and men need to take responsibility for solving.
issue.
The extent of sexual harassment and other inappropriate
behaviour in the mining industry had been hidden for many years. I congratulate
Caitlyn Rintoul from The West Australian for her series of articles that
highlighted the challenges that have faced women in this state. These matters
were not being properly reported. One of the reasons they were not being
properly reported was the decision of companies to make confidential
settlements and move on, rather than bringing it to the attention of the
principal regulator, the Equal Opportunity Commission, or the commonwealth regulator, the Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission, or the health and safety regulator , which at
that time was the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. It is a bit
like the current federal Liberal government
paying $500 000 to the victim of sexual harassment from Alan Tudge, who would
be the education minister in a re-elected Liberal government. We have
seen from the #MeToo movement in the United States that the use of confidential
settlements is part of the victimisation of women in industry. We reject that
approach. We do not understand why the Liberal Party continues to use that
approach.
In December last year, along with
the Minister for Women's Interests, the Minister for Mental Health and
me as Minister for Mines and Petroleum and
the then Minister for Industrial Relations, we established the MARS program— the
Mental Awareness Respect and Safety program. I am very pleased to say that in
today's budget there is an additional $6.5 million for the MARS program
as part of our continued investment in this important issue. The initiatives
include Thrive at Work and This Mining Life, which I launched just recently at
the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy's international
conference on safety. The Thrive at Work masterclass series will focus on
building capability in human resources, safety and wellbeing for managers and
chief executives in the mining industry. This Mining Life will complement and
align with the Thrive at Work framework and provide customised training and
resources designed for frontline managers and workers, and will cover key
concepts of mental health, respect, alcohol and other drugs, and legal and moral
rights and responsibilities. We have also commissioned the Centre for
Transformative Work Design from Curtin University to do a study into the mental
health and workplace culture across Western Australia's mining sector.
We continue to respond as the issues become apparent in the sector. In the end,
there are two things we all know. The first is that companies are responsible
for health and safety at work. They have duties at law both in the Equal
Opportunity Act and under health and safety legislation. They need to meet
their responsibilities. The second thing we know is that sexual violence and
sexual harassment starts with disrespect by men. We need to accept as a society
that we need to do better. We just had a question to the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic
Violence. Domestic violence is another symptom that we are dealing with
in the mining industry. All across this state, women are suffering from these
types of issues. We all have to accept that in the end this is a problem that
men create and men need to take responsibility for solving.
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