Palaszczuk Government delivering fairer deal for Queensland workers

State Parliament will this week debate proposed changes to Queensland’s workers’ compensation laws aimed at delivering greater fairness to the state’s workers.

Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations Curtis Pitt said the legislative amendments would restore important common law rights for workers.

“The amendments remove an LNP-imposed threshold which unfairly restricts Queenslanders injured at work from accessing common law damages,” he said.

“Jarrod Bleijie and the LNP rode roughshod over the rights of Queensland workers and we’re taking action to reverse the damage they inflicted.”

Mr Pitt said the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015 would deliver important workplace reform.

“The amendments will deliver nation leading legislation that makes it easier for brave Queensland firefighters to access compensation for work-related cancers,” he said.

“They will extend the same rights to volunteer firefighters as those enjoyed by fulltime and auxiliary firefighters who contract one of the 12 specified work-related cancers.

“This follows an extensive consultation process with firefighters and incorporates recommendations of the parliamentary Finance and Administration Committee.

“This is in stark contrast to the LNP, which ignored the all-party committee’s recommendations on worker’s compensation.

“I’ve said from the outset that I value the committee process and that I would listen to the committee’s recommendations.

“Many local members, including myself, have met with firefighters in electorates across Queensland to hear their concerns.

“Volunteer firefighters told us that proving they had attended 150 fire events was difficult because of poor historical record keeping.

“They requested an alternate evidence threshold and as a consultative government, we’ve taken this feedback on board.”

Mr Pitt said it was fair and reasonable for all firefighters to have access to medical expenses, weekly benefits and statutory lump sum or common law damages.

“All firefighters with a claim accepted under the deemed disease provisions will be entitled to seek common law damages for their disease,” he said.

“This includes volunteer firefighters and there will be no 10 year limit on making a claim and they won’t have to attend 150 fire events to be eligible for compensation.”

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