Labor is making life safer and fairer for Victorians with a raft of reforms passing Parliament.
A Parliamentary Inquiry into claims made through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) last month found that laws didn’t properly recognise all families impacted by road trauma.
Labor has acted – Victorian children who lose a parent to road accidents will get the support they need with payments for impacted families to double from $244 to $488 every week, from 1 November this year.
Children who lose one parent to road trauma will now also qualify for the $3,780 annual education allowance.
These changes will directly benefit more than 850 Victorian children currently supported by the TAC.
Backing workers with dust diseases
Workers exposed to dust between November 1997 and October 1999 will get back their common law rights – a right Jeff Kennett and the Liberals stripped from workers as part of their brutal cuts to services.
Time limits on claims for diseases, including silicosis will be removed to ensure workers aren’t undercompensated for conditions which can take decades to be diagnosed.
Victims of workplace dust disease will also be able to go straight to the Supreme Court and seek further damages if another dust disease develops – rights now limited to asbestosis and silicosis cases.
Tougher penalties for putting lives at risk
New laws will see the maximum jail term for recklessly putting lives at risk at work will double to 10 years.
Maximum fines will rise to $2.1 million for individuals and $10.5 million for companies.
Grieving families and injured workers will get a stronger voice in court, through impact statements at sentencing.
Courts will also be able to order offenders to deliver safety improvements for up to five years.
The Government Response to Sentencing Advisory Council recommendations is available here.
As stated by Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Steve Dimopoulos
“A tragedy on the roads can take a child’s parents in an instant. It shouldn’t take their future too – that’s why we’re doubling the support they get every week.”
“Jeff Kennett cut workers rights – Jess Wilson is set to do the same with her $40 billion cuts plan.”
“These changes build upon Labor’s nation leading engineered stone ban and workplace manslaughter laws because every wronged worker deserves their day in court.”
