Labor Senator for Tasmania Lisa Singh has slammed the Abbott Government’s continued attack on Australia’s road safety watchdog, standing with the Transport Workers’ Union last week in Canberra to demand the government abandon its ideological attacks on fair wages and safe roads.
More than 300 people are killed in truck related crashes in Australia every year. Truck driving is Australia’s deadliest profession with drivers 15 times more likely to die at work than any other profession.
In Tasmania, seven of the thirty six people killed on Tasmanian roads in 2014 died in truck crashes.
Yet since being elected, Tony Abbott has launched an unprecedented attack on the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which investigates the economic pressure on truck drivers to drive faster, for longer with over-loaded vehicles in a stressed and tired state.
It is now more than a year since Mr Abbott completed his so-called ‘review’ into the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, simply to pursue his ideological agenda will damage our competitiveness and fairness as a nation.
Labor stands for safe roads for all drivers and safe workplaces for our truck drivers.
The former Labor Government implemented historic transport reforms which are helping to increasing productivity and efficiency and reducing paperwork and compliance costs, while keeping workers safe on the job.
The changes are expected to boost national income by $30 billion over the next two decades including $12.4 billion in productivity gains in the heavy vehicle transport industry, which moves over 70% of Australian domestic freight.
Mr Abbott must abandon his attack on the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal now.
SENATOR LISA SINGH SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER LABOR SENATOR FOR TASMANIA
