Earlier in February 2010, the recently appointed leader of the conservative Opposition, Tony Abbott, said in Parliament that the Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett could have been charged with industrial manslaughter over the deaths of four insulation installers funded indirectly by the Government. It was all oratorical bluster with little legal credibility.
However, it did remind some that industrial manslaughter laws are a reality in some Australian jurisdictions and remains a policy objective of some political parties.
In the Australian Senate on 25 February 2010, the Green Senator, Bob Brown, moved
“That, with regard to the comments made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Abbott) on industrial manslaughter, the Senate accepts the need for strong national industrial manslaughter laws.” Continue reading “Industrial Manslaughter mentioned in Australia’s Parliament”