❓ Question regarding the government's progress on implementing recommendations from the 'Enough is Enough' report on sexual harassment in the FIFO mining industry. The Minister defends the government's record on women's issues and outlines initiatives undertaken.
AnsweredQoN 593Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Resources industry—Sexual harassment
593. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I note the scathing
attack from within the Labor Party's own ranks on the government's lack of
commitment to address the issues identified in the 2022 'Enough is Enough': Sexual harassment against women in
the FIFO mining industry report. Why has the government failed to
implement half of the report's recommendations?
593. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I note the scathing
attack from within the Labor Party's own ranks on the government's lack of
commitment to address the issues identified in the 2022 'Enough is Enough': Sexual harassment against women in
the FIFO mining industry report. Why has the government failed to
implement half of the report's recommendations?
AnswerView source ↗
First of all, I
thank the member for a question to the Minister for Women, because I have not
had one all year. I have not had one question as the Minister for Women. It obviously
indicates the opposition's lack of commitment to this portfolio.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Simone McGurk: It is something that we as a
government have taken seriously across a whole range of endeavours, including safety
at work. In fact, the Equal Opportunity Commission's examination of some of
these issues at FIFO camps first drew attention to them and led to some of the
media reports. That was later picked up by a parliamentary committee.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, you have asked the
question. Listen to the answer, please.
Ms Simone McGurk: I want to talk about some of the
recommendations. I make absolutely no apology for the work that this government
has done in championing women's interests ever since we came to office in 2017.
We have introduced safe access zones around abortion clinics to protect women
accessing health services. We have modernised abortion laws, decriminalising
abortion and ensuring improved access. We have delivered family violence
reforms across a whole range of areas, including the recent amendments to the
Evidence Act. We have delivered for women's health across WA and continue to do
so through the new builds for the women's and babies' hospital, Osborne Park
Hospital and Bentley Hospital's birth centre and improved midwifery practices
across a range of regional centres.
Since 2021, we have
put $21.4 million into the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Program,
which aims to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in the mining
industry. Clearly, we champion respect in all workplaces. We particularly champion
safety for all workplaces, not to mention for women in male-dominated
workplaces. It is something that I have been passionate about for my whole
working life.
We have done a range
of things, and that includes putting over $21 million into the Mental
Awareness, Respect and Safety Program, which includes the Respect in Mining
program that the member talks about. These resources are available for any
mining workplace to adopt in its operations to make sure that people understand.
It is a toolkit so people understand what they can do. It has resources that
companies can access and implement. The ongoing resources show what sorts of
issues there are, how people can improve safety, and what they need to be
sensitive about to ensure the safety of women in their workplace. They are
resources or a toolkit. It was particularly targeted at
small and medium-sized companies. We know that the larger resource and mining
companies were developing their own toolkits. We worked with them to
develop those, and we thank them for doing that.
There was a lot of
work to be done. The Respect in Mining resources were particularly aimed at
small and medium-sized companies, and companies were asked to come forward to
develop a pilot program. The Gold Fields company in Kalgoorlie decided to put up
its hand, and it was the only company that put up its hand. The Australian
Workers' Union was critical of that company because of its industrial relations
record. I was aware of those criticisms. In the end, the company decided to
pull out of implementing the pilot, and we were disappointed to hear that. It said
that it had other priorities, and I was particularly disappointed to hear that.
Those resources are
still available for companies to use, and we encourage them to do that. It is
not something that government can do alone. It will take companies providing
leadership to understand what the issues are for women in their workplaces and
how the companies meet their obligations for workplace safety. In fact, last
year, since I have been the Minister for Industrial Relations, we amended the Industrial Relations Act 1979 so complaints can
be heard by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and people
can seek orders to stop bullying or sexual harassment. That is the first time
that that has occurred in Western Australia.
Of the Enough is Enough report's 24 recommendations, 17
have been completed. The remaining seven are ongoing pieces of work that seek
to address the attitudes that give rise to unacceptable behaviour. Clearly,
this is not something to set and forget. Unlike the member, who had a flurry of
activity and interest in this area and then said nothing for a long time, we
have ongoing interest in, and application to, making sure that workplaces are
safe for women throughout the state.
thank the member for a question to the Minister for Women, because I have not
had one all year. I have not had one question as the Minister for Women. It obviously
indicates the opposition's lack of commitment to this portfolio.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Simone McGurk: It is something that we as a
government have taken seriously across a whole range of endeavours, including safety
at work. In fact, the Equal Opportunity Commission's examination of some of
these issues at FIFO camps first drew attention to them and led to some of the
media reports. That was later picked up by a parliamentary committee.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, you have asked the
question. Listen to the answer, please.
Ms Simone McGurk: I want to talk about some of the
recommendations. I make absolutely no apology for the work that this government
has done in championing women's interests ever since we came to office in 2017.
We have introduced safe access zones around abortion clinics to protect women
accessing health services. We have modernised abortion laws, decriminalising
abortion and ensuring improved access. We have delivered family violence
reforms across a whole range of areas, including the recent amendments to the
Evidence Act. We have delivered for women's health across WA and continue to do
so through the new builds for the women's and babies' hospital, Osborne Park
Hospital and Bentley Hospital's birth centre and improved midwifery practices
across a range of regional centres.
Since 2021, we have
put $21.4 million into the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Program,
which aims to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in the mining
industry. Clearly, we champion respect in all workplaces. We particularly champion
safety for all workplaces, not to mention for women in male-dominated
workplaces. It is something that I have been passionate about for my whole
working life.
We have done a range
of things, and that includes putting over $21 million into the Mental
Awareness, Respect and Safety Program, which includes the Respect in Mining
program that the member talks about. These resources are available for any
mining workplace to adopt in its operations to make sure that people understand.
It is a toolkit so people understand what they can do. It has resources that
companies can access and implement. The ongoing resources show what sorts of
issues there are, how people can improve safety, and what they need to be
sensitive about to ensure the safety of women in their workplace. They are
resources or a toolkit. It was particularly targeted at
small and medium-sized companies. We know that the larger resource and mining
companies were developing their own toolkits. We worked with them to
develop those, and we thank them for doing that.
There was a lot of
work to be done. The Respect in Mining resources were particularly aimed at
small and medium-sized companies, and companies were asked to come forward to
develop a pilot program. The Gold Fields company in Kalgoorlie decided to put up
its hand, and it was the only company that put up its hand. The Australian
Workers' Union was critical of that company because of its industrial relations
record. I was aware of those criticisms. In the end, the company decided to
pull out of implementing the pilot, and we were disappointed to hear that. It said
that it had other priorities, and I was particularly disappointed to hear that.
Those resources are
still available for companies to use, and we encourage them to do that. It is
not something that government can do alone. It will take companies providing
leadership to understand what the issues are for women in their workplaces and
how the companies meet their obligations for workplace safety. In fact, last
year, since I have been the Minister for Industrial Relations, we amended the Industrial Relations Act 1979 so complaints can
be heard by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and people
can seek orders to stop bullying or sexual harassment. That is the first time
that that has occurred in Western Australia.
Of the Enough is Enough report's 24 recommendations, 17
have been completed. The remaining seven are ongoing pieces of work that seek
to address the attitudes that give rise to unacceptable behaviour. Clearly,
this is not something to set and forget. Unlike the member, who had a flurry of
activity and interest in this area and then said nothing for a long time, we
have ongoing interest in, and application to, making sure that workplaces are
safe for women throughout the state.
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