Statement by Chief Executive Officer Steve Knott AM, Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association:

The Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) welcomes the vote by the senate to split the “Closing Loopholes” Bill and deal with important worker protections immediately.

AREEA, along with other business and industry groups, has supported this position from the outset.

AREEA’s submission to the senate inquiry into the Bill called for four uncontentious elements of the large and complex draft legislation to be separated and passed promptly.

These measures, relating to family and domestic violence leave, PTSD, asbestos management and small business redundancy exemptions, were the substance of the private members bills from senators Lambie and Pocock endorsed today.

Giving immediate effect to protections in these areas is a sensible approach which places the lives and livelihoods of Australians beyond politics – and should be supported by the Government in the lower house.

On behalf of its resources and energy members – covering mining, oil and gas and service contractors – AREEA now urges a focused debate on substantive contentious aspects of the Closing Loopholes Bill.

AREEA is most concerned with the proposed labour hire laws and the lack of a clear exemption for specialist service contractors which form the lifeblood of the resources and energy industry’s supply chain.