Tuesday, 30 August 2022

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (11:46): My question is again to the Minister for Workplace Safety. Minister, in the last two years $800 million of top-up money has been provided to WorkSafe, given its unsustainable financial position, as an organisation which has a critical role in supporting injured employees. By now, Minister, you will have seen the annual report of WorkSafe to 30 June. Will you confirm that it has a deficit of $200 million, despite $300 million being packed in to prop it up? And if not, what is the deficit?

 Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep) (11:47): I thank Mr Davis for his question. Of course the scheme has been facing significant challenges due to both the impacts of the pandemic but also the number and the complexity of workplace injuries, including mental injury costs, and we have been completely up-front about those challenges.

That is why both the government and WorkSafe are fully focused on prioritising the prevention of mental injury in our workplaces—and there are a range of strategies that are being pursued in that regard—and it is why we are fully focused on early intervention particularly when it comes to mental injury, because we understand fully the importance of an early return to work in an injured worker’s recovery journey. It is why we have introduced provisional payments so that, if a worker with a mental injury makes a WorkCover claim, they are immediately covered for the costs of early medical support. It is also significant to note Peter Rozen’s review into the management of complex claims and the range of reforms that the government will be pursuing in the area of complex claims management.

None of these challenges are simple to resolve, Mr Davis, as you would very well know, and it is the case that on 27 May the government announced it would provide $300 million to the WorkCover scheme in the 2022–23 financial year. That is all about making sure that injured workers get the support that they need to recover and to return to work.

It is also very important that, as our businesses recover from the pandemic, we do everything we can to keep premiums low, and we have done so in Victoria, with the second-lowest premium rate in the country. Of course the annual report will be provided and made public at the appropriate time, and Mr Davis would be aware of the time frames involved in those public reports.

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (11:49): I notice the minister did not answer the very simple question about what the deficit is. Minister, so serious is the position of WorkSafe that an interdepartmental committee was formed, comprising representatives of your department, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Treasury and Finance. The house has ordered the release of the minutes of the secret interdepartmental committee and independent financial assessments of WorkSafe’s deteriorating position. I therefore ask: why has your government failed to provide those minutes and the report to the chamber for over almost three months?

 Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep) (11:50): Yes, Mr Davis. That is right. This chamber did debate a documents motion, and that is being dealt with in accordance with the usual parliamentary procedure for documents motions. Of course interdepartmental committees are not something new. They are a concept that I am sure Mr Davis is very well aware of. It is important whenever the government are looking at important reforms in this area that we have coordination across a range of departments and agencies relevant to the work that we are doing. Let me make it very clear to you, Mr Davis: the priority for the government is to make sure that the WorkCover scheme is financially sustainable so that it can continue to support injured workers in their hour of need.