Darien Fenton
Health and Safety Spokesperson
17 May 2013
No Budget commitment to health and safety
This year’s Budget has once again confirmed that National’s commitment to improving New Zealand’s awful workplace death
and injury toll is hollow, says Darien Fenton, Labour’s Health and Safety spokesperson.
“Budget 2013 contained no extra money to implement the recommendations of the Pike River Mine Commission of Inquiry or
the Health and Safety Taskforce.
“The Health and Safety Taskforce that reported back last week said improving New Zealand’s appalling health and safety
record would require additional funding of $20 million in the year to June 2014, rising to $32.5 million in the year to
June 2017 and thereafter.
“That would allow the establishment of a new agency, which the Government has already agreed to as one of the
recommendations of the Pike River Mine Commission of Inquiry. And it would enable more worker participation and
enforcement of health and safety.
“But the Budget has no new funding in this area. Instead, spending on Occupational Health and Safety has been held at
the existing $50 million a year.
“That isn’t a real commitment to improving health and safety.
“Just when we appear to have reached a consensus in New Zealand about the right of workers to go home safely at the end
of their working day, National shows its true colours and tries to do things on the cheap. Workers deserve better than
that.
“The Minister of Labour, Simon Bridges has clearly failed in his advocacy in the Cabinet. He should now explain how he
will address the 100 lives lost each year, the 900 serious harm incidents and the hundreds of thousands of workplace
injuries.
“All this Government has is hollow words. Its actions show it has no real commitment to improving workplace safety,”
says Darien Fenton.
ENDS