FIVE QUESTIONS JOE HOCKEY MUST ANSWER WHILE HE IS IN QUEENSLAND TODAY: MICKEL
Published Thursday, 27 September, 2007 at 09:37 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Queensland Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Joe Hockey should come clean and answer five questions at today’s Queensland Media Club lunch in Brisbane.
1. Why does the Howard/Costello Government oppose the legislation passed by the Queensland Parliament to protect young workers?
The Queensland Government has passed legislation that enables workers under 18 years of age to recover lost entitlements that may have been stripped under Work Choices.
Joe Hockey has already admitted that John Howard and his Cabinet colleagues got it wrong. The Queensland legislation simply enables those workers who were ripped off to recover those lost entitlements.
I challenge Joe Hockey to rule out any Federal Government challenge to the state laws that protect young workers.
2. Why is Joe Hockey approving employers operating in Queensland moving to the Federal Comcare system?
An independent actuarial study found that injured workers receive 20 per cent more in total compensation in the Queensland Workcover system than under the federal Comcare scheme.
The Queensland Workcover system has the lowest premiums in Australia. In 2007-08 the average premium rate in Queensland will be $1.15 per $100 in wages. This compares to the Comcare average rate in 2006-07 of $1.77.
The study found costs to employers were 39 per cent more under Comcare than under the Queensland system.
Workers are being duped by not being consulted about their employer’s application to move to Comcare. Many turn up to work to find they are not covered for injuries occurring to and from work and, should a worker be killed on the job, their families will receive considerably less benefits under Comcare. Workers’ families in Queensland receive more than $100,000 than what Comcare provides.
3. Why won’t Joe Hockey respond to requests for information on matters that the Queensland Government has referred to him for investigation?
The Queensland Government has referred over 800 instances where workers believe they have been unfairly treated. Mr Hockey is refusing to provide any feedback on investigations to protect Queensland workers. What has he got to hide?
4. Why has Joe Hockey imposed a complex and burdensome WorkChoices system on employers?
A survey of the Australian Human Resources Institute found 55.5 per cent of respondents believe Work Choices has increased the need for legal advice and 40 per cent had found employment arrangements had become more complex.
5. Why is Joe Hockey claiming the employment growth is related to WorkChoices?
A survey of the Australian Human Resources Institute found only 4.5 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that the changes in Work Choices to the unfair dismissal legislation encouraged the employment of more people.
Media contact: Chris Brown on 3237 1944 or Elouise Campion on 3237 1125
1. Why does the Howard/Costello Government oppose the legislation passed by the Queensland Parliament to protect young workers?
The Queensland Government has passed legislation that enables workers under 18 years of age to recover lost entitlements that may have been stripped under Work Choices.
Joe Hockey has already admitted that John Howard and his Cabinet colleagues got it wrong. The Queensland legislation simply enables those workers who were ripped off to recover those lost entitlements.
I challenge Joe Hockey to rule out any Federal Government challenge to the state laws that protect young workers.
2. Why is Joe Hockey approving employers operating in Queensland moving to the Federal Comcare system?
An independent actuarial study found that injured workers receive 20 per cent more in total compensation in the Queensland Workcover system than under the federal Comcare scheme.
The Queensland Workcover system has the lowest premiums in Australia. In 2007-08 the average premium rate in Queensland will be $1.15 per $100 in wages. This compares to the Comcare average rate in 2006-07 of $1.77.
The study found costs to employers were 39 per cent more under Comcare than under the Queensland system.
Workers are being duped by not being consulted about their employer’s application to move to Comcare. Many turn up to work to find they are not covered for injuries occurring to and from work and, should a worker be killed on the job, their families will receive considerably less benefits under Comcare. Workers’ families in Queensland receive more than $100,000 than what Comcare provides.
3. Why won’t Joe Hockey respond to requests for information on matters that the Queensland Government has referred to him for investigation?
The Queensland Government has referred over 800 instances where workers believe they have been unfairly treated. Mr Hockey is refusing to provide any feedback on investigations to protect Queensland workers. What has he got to hide?
4. Why has Joe Hockey imposed a complex and burdensome WorkChoices system on employers?
A survey of the Australian Human Resources Institute found 55.5 per cent of respondents believe Work Choices has increased the need for legal advice and 40 per cent had found employment arrangements had become more complex.
5. Why is Joe Hockey claiming the employment growth is related to WorkChoices?
A survey of the Australian Human Resources Institute found only 4.5 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that the changes in Work Choices to the unfair dismissal legislation encouraged the employment of more people.
Media contact: Chris Brown on 3237 1944 or Elouise Campion on 3237 1125