This bill became law on Nov 6th, 2023.
Health, care & disability
Australia’s freedom of information law now blocks release of protected informationInformation from the registry that this bill keeps secret, including personal, workplace-identifying, and commercially confidential details. from the national occupational respiratory disease registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. when that information is covered by the registry secrecy offence.
The new respiratory disease registry would collect personal, workplace-identifying and commercially confidential information, but the Freedom of Information Act did not yet cover its secrecy offence. This bill adds that offence to the FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. secrecy list so the registry’s protected informationInformation from the registry that this bill keeps secret, including personal, workplace-identifying, and commercially confidential details. is exempt from release when the registry starts.
Australia already had freedom of information rules and some state dust disease registers, but the resurgence of silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. linked to engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban., early reported cases in the mid-2010s and hundreds of identified cases by 2022 exposed how fragmented national data on occupational lung disease had become. After the National Dust Disease TaskforceThe 2019 expert group that recommended creating a national registry to improve prevention and tracking of dust diseases. recommended a national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. in 2019, the government set up that registry in 2023 and this companion bill made sure its personal, workplace-identifying and commercially confidential information would be protected from release under FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. when the new system began.
The main criticism was that this bill and the wider registry package were too limited to stop occupational lung disease on their own, because a data register and FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. secrecy rules do not themselves prevent dangerous exposure or guarantee broader case finding. That concern came mainly from MPs who still supported the bill, plus a Senate amendment calling for consideration of more diseases and a ban on engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban., so criticism was narrow and largely about scope rather than opposition to the measure.
Ged Kearney MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 06 Nov 2023
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.
Passage speed
138 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
Australia’s freedom of information law now blocks release of protected informationInformation from the registry that this bill keeps secret, including personal, workplace-identifying, and commercially confidential details. from the national occupational respiratory disease registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. when that information is covered by the registry secrecy offence.
People and businesses get stronger privacy protection because personal details and commercially sensitive registry information are fully exempt from release under freedom of information requests.
The protected material includes personal information, details that could identify a workplace, and information a business treats as confidential.
This change starts when the main national occupational respiratory disease registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. law starts, so the secrecy protection begins with the registry itself.
The bill will amend schedule 3 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982,known as the FOI Act. This amendment will add the offence of unauthorised disclosure of protected information contained in the NORDR Bill to the list of secrecy provisions recognised for the purposes of subsection 38(1) of the FOI Act.Minister's second reading speech
The amendment to the FOI Act will ensure that information protected by the secrecy provision in section 23 of the NORDR Bill will be exempt from disclosure under section 38 of the FOI Act. This will protect against unnecessary intrusions on an individual's privacy or commercial interests by ensuring that protected information is unconditionally exempt from disclosure due to the operation of section 38 of the FOI Act, in response to an FOI request.Minister's second reading speech
Protected information for the purposes of the Bill includes information in the National Registry that is personal information, workplace identifying information or information that is commercial in confidence. The definition of protected information also includes information derived from a record in the National Registry or from a use or disclosure of protected information that was included in the National Registry.National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (Consequential Amendments) explanatory memorandum
At the same time as the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Act 2023 commences.National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (Consequential Amendments) Act 2023 final Act text
Context
Australia already had freedom of information rules and some state dust disease registers, but the resurgence of silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. linked to engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban., early reported cases in the mid-2010s and hundreds of identified cases by 2022 exposed how fragmented national data on occupational lung disease had become. After the National Dust Disease TaskforceThe 2019 expert group that recommended creating a national registry to improve prevention and tracking of dust diseases. recommended a national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. in 2019, the government set up that registry in 2023 and this companion bill made sure its personal, workplace-identifying and commercially confidential information would be protected from release under FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. when the new system began.
Engineered-stone silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. emerges as a national concern
Parliamentary speeches pointed to early engineered-stone silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. cases in the mid-2010s, with speakers giving 2015 and 2016 references, showing the issue had become visible before the registry bill.
Hansard ↗National Dust Disease TaskforceThe 2019 expert group that recommended creating a national registry to improve prevention and tracking of dust diseases. recommends a national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier.
A 2019 taskforce set up in response to the growing incidence of silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. recommended creating a National Occupational Respiratory Disease RegistryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier..
Hansard ↗Hundreds of silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. cases have been identified
By 2022, 579 cases had been identified according to parliamentary debate, underscoring the scale of disease the new national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. was meant to track.
Hansard ↗Government introduces the registry privacy bill
The government introduced this companion bill to ensure the new registry's secrecy offence would also block FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. release of personal, workplace-identifying and commercially confidential information.
Hansard ↗Parliament passes the bill
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing the legislative package needed to align FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. protections with the new national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier..
Parliamentary timeline ↗Royal AssentThe final step that turned the bill into an Act and let the new legal protections begin. makes the protections law
Royal AssentThe final step that turned the bill into an Act and let the new legal protections begin. turned the bill into an Act so the FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. exemption could begin when the main respiratory disease registry law commenced.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Referred to Committee (03/08/2023): Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Committee report (30/08/2023)
Referred to committee
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final step that turned the bill into an Act and let the new legal protections begin., turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that this bill and the wider registry package were too limited to stop occupational lung disease on their own, because a data register and FOIThe law that lets people ask for government documents, but here it is changed so protected registry material cannot be released under FOI. secrecy rules do not themselves prevent dangerous exposure or guarantee broader case finding. That concern came mainly from MPs who still supported the bill, plus a Senate amendment calling for consideration of more diseases and a ban on engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban., so criticism was narrow and largely about scope rather than opposition to the measure.
No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, but some support was clearly conditional on wider follow-up action.
Too narrow to fix the problem
Several supporters argued the registry and its secrecy protections were only a first step and would not by themselves stop silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. or other occupational respiratory diseases. They said broader screening, inspections, stronger worker protections, better use of national health data, and further prevention measures were still needed.
Concerns about scope and follow-through
A Senate amendment pressed the government to consider banning engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban. and to review adding more prescribed diseases to the registry, reflecting concern that the scheme could be too narrow if it captured too little or was not paired with stronger prevention policy.
Privacy and reporting burden reservations
One supporter noted concerns about privacy and the compliance burden of reporting, although he said the minister had addressed many of them. This suggests reservations were mainly about implementation safeguards rather than the bill's overall purpose.
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Amendments grouped by chamber. These cards include amendment outcomes recorded without a counted division.
Senate
In the linked Senate debate, the Senate agreed on voices to Senator Jordon Steele-John's Australian Greens amendment requiring aggregate exposure and occupation statistics in reports under the main registry bill. The consequential amendments bill itself was not textually changed.
Carried on voices
The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.
Senator Steele-John's second-reading change, agreed on voices, noted silica dust exposure and urged the government to consider banning engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban. and to review more prescribed diseases for the registry.
Carried on voices
The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Kearney supports the bill and says it makes the needed consequential changes to protect sensitive registry information from disclosure under freedom of information law.
Read in Hansard ↗Jenny Ware supports the bill, saying it completes the taskforceThe 2019 expert group that recommended creating a national registry to improve prevention and tracking of dust diseases.'s work to set up a national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. for occupational respiratory diseases and improve prevention and monitoring.
Read in Hansard ↗Ryan supports the bill and says it will improve support for people with occupational respiratory diseases, especially silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first., but she wants the government to take a broader, more holistic approach to health data collection and disease registries.
Read in Hansard ↗David Smith supports the bill, saying the registry will help track occupational respiratory disease, guide prevention, and protect future workers from silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first..
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
22 speakers · 25 contributions · 22 support
“The establishment of the registry will complement actions across all state and territory governments to reduce exposures in the workplace and demonstrates the Albanese government's commitment to keeping workers safe. We cannot cure silicosis, but we can prevent it. I commend this work from the assistant minister and the union movement, and I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is the first step to preventing this reality, and I commended bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023 delivers on the recommendation of the National Dust Disease Taskforce to establish a National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry. This follows an increase in silicosis, particularly amongst stonemasons working on engineered benchtops and the like.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill delivers on the recommendation of the National Dust Disease Taskforce to establish a National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry. This national registry will provide for better record keeping on a national scale, and it gives experts and policymakers an opportunity to see the trends of occupations that have caused or exacerbated this disease.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill delivers on the recommendation of the National Dust Disease Taskforce to establish a national occupational respiratory disease register. It follows an increase in silicosis in stonemasons working on engineered stone benchtops.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The establishment of the national registry will complement actions across all Australian governments to reduce exposures in the workplace and demonstrates the government's commitment to keeping workers safe. That, ultimately, is our goal here. It is really important for those of us who care about our workers. I don't think there would be a single person in this place who would not want to know that, as someone in their community went to work, their work was not leading to them being exposed to something that could be life-threatening to them down the track, so I look forward to the support of this bill by everybody in this place. It is a commitment by the Albanese government that the rights of workers and the safety of workers be at the forefront of our minds. As someone who has run a small business for 25 years and worked with many, many businesses throughout that period, I know how important our workers are, and I know that employers want to make sure they're providing a safe workplace. I hope that this bill will assist in that process by expanding the information we have.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is an important one as it builds upon the findings and recommendations of the National Dust Disease Taskforce, including the need to establish a National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry. That is so important. We need to know the data. We need to know what we're dealing with. These are quite large numbers of workers that are exposed—thousands every day—and it is very important that this is a first step. There is much more to be done. I have been encouraged by the actions of the Albanese government but there's much more to be done, and we need to hurry up and do it.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I am very pleased therefore to stand in this House and speak in support of the introduction of a new national occupational respiratory disease registry.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“As a government we must ensure we have structures that look after workers, and this bill marks a significant step forward in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our workers and strengthening our commitment to tackling occupational diseases in Australia.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“That's why today, I stand in support of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill is an important step in protecting Australian workers from silicosis and providing a framework for protection from similar diseases in future. It's about ensuring that Australians can return home safely from work every single day without risking their health now or in the future. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This change is overdue, and the Albanese government is stepping up and doing something to protect Australian workers in their workplaces. I commend the legislation to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Nobody should go to work and contract diseases that kill them. That's why I rise here today in support of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill, which delivers on the recommendations of the National Dust Disease Taskforce. As a co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Lung Health and Lung Cancer, our mission is very clear: to prioritise lung diseases and raise awareness. Every breath matters, and our efforts aim to ensure healthier lives for everyone. The rate at which we are seeing silicosis and other occupational respiratory diseases rising in Australia is unacceptably high. Nearly one in four engineered stone workers who were in the industry prior to 2018 has been diagnosed with silicosis or other silica dust related diseases, and this number is still predicted to rise, most notably among young men. These are distressing facts and figures for illnesses that are entirely preventable, and all too often lead to entirely preventable deaths.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This Bill deals with consequential matters arising from the enactment of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023, known as the NORDR Bill.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The bill we are debating today, the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023, and its related bills deliver on the recommendation of the National Dust Disease Taskforce to establish a national occupational respiratory disease registry. This will mean that medical professionals will need to notify the national registry so that we can better understand and manage occupational respiratory diseases as well as monitor the prevalence of these horrible respiratory diseases, which will enable action to be taken to further reduce workers' exposure to risk.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill, the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill, stands as a testament to this commitment. This bill comes as a result of the recommendations of the National Dust Disease Taskforce and is aimed at establishing the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry. The alarming increase in silicosis cases among stonemasons working on engineered stone benchtops has spurred us into action. The national registry proposed by this bill will serve as a repository of information related to respiratory diseases believed to be caused or exacerbated by occupational conditions. This information will be pivotal in understanding the true extent of these diseases in Australia, guiding us toward effective preventative actions.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Peter Khalil on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Khalil supports the bill as part of the government’s effort to address silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. and other occupational respiratory diseases, which he says are preventable but still causing unacceptable illness and death. He argues workers have a right to be safe at work and says the government is determined to protect them.
“Silicosis is said to have been causing death and disability to Australian workers for over 100 years. According to the Lung Foundation Australia, around 600,000 Australian workers are potentially exposed to silica dust each year across various industries. Tragically, these are preventable conditions and often preventable deaths. Everyone has the right to feel safe and protected at work. This government is adamant and passionate about making sure that is the case. Workers should not be exposed to unacceptable risks in workplaces, fall ill or die because their employer failed—”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Khalil supports the bill, saying it is part of the Albanese government's push to protect workers from occupational respiratory disease through better detection, prevention and information-sharing. He says the registry will help identify the true extent of these diseases and improve safety for workers exposed to unacceptable risks.
“This bill demonstrates the Albanese government's commitment to not only understanding the occupational respiratory health of workers but also taking important steps to support the early detection and prevention of workplace risks, as well as developing strategies to protect workers from further exposure.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
“Given the hidden scale of the problem, its deadly effects and the absence of a definitive treatment, the Albanese government is determined to act. The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023 delivers on the recommendation of the National Dust Disease Taskforce to establish a national registry.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Tania Lawrence on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Lawrence supports the bill as part of the response to silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. and silica dust exposure, arguing that legislators have a duty to gather evidence, listen to experts, and act to protect workers. She frames the problem as urgent and deadly, especially for engineered-stone workers.
“Legislators have a duty to investigate, to find information, to listen to and follow the best available expert advice, and to take action. Often, sadly, that knowledge trails behind the headlong development of an industry.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Tania Lawrence supports the bill as part of the response to silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first., saying a national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. will help reduce workplace risk and complement broader government action. She argues it is needed because Australia must learn from past asbestos failures and act on evidence to protect workers.
“The bill before the parliament is part of that response. The establishment of the national registry will complement and support the further action being undertaken by this government and governments across the country to reduce exposure and associated risks in the workplace. I commend the bill to the House.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
“The creation of the national registry will better protect workers from silicosis and complement a wide range of other actions being taken by the government. A review of the operation of the registry will be undertaken within 12 months of its operation, including an evaluation of the privacy implications of the scheme in practice.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I join my colleagues today in commending this bill to the House. I commend the government for taking action on something that is impacting workers across Australia and, I know, Victoria. At what cost is an engineered kitchen benchtop? The answer will be in this register. My response is: it's too expensive. People's lives are much more important than a fancy kitchen benchtop.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Ged Kearney on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Minister's second reading speech
Kearney supports the bill and says it makes the needed consequential changes to protect sensitive registry information from disclosure under freedom of information law. She argues the secrecy amendment is necessary to safeguard privacy and commercial interests, and commends the bill to the House.
“This bill deals with consequential matters arising from the enactment of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023, known as the NORDR Bill.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Ged Kearney supports the bill, saying the national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. will help detect emerging threats to workers' respiratory health, improve research and prevention, and better protect workers from silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first..
“I thank all the members for their contributions to debate on these bills. The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry will aid the detection of new and emerging threats to workers respiratory health, inform incidence trends, help inform actions to be taken to reduce further worker exposure, support research into occupational respiratory diseases and assist in targeting and monitoring the effectiveness of interventions and prevention strategies. The national registry will achieve this by capturing and sharing data, where appropriate, on the incidence of occupational respiratory diseases and their respiratory disease causing agents; the last and main exposures to agents that can cause respiratory disease, including the place of business, industry, occupation and job task; and respiratory health data. The creation of the national registry will better protect workers from silicosis and complement a wide range of other actions being taken by the government.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
4 speakers · 4 support
“It is therefore more than appropriate—it is essential—that in this place we do all that we can to address these unknown risks and look at future protection of workers within these sectors. The establishment of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry, which is the subject of these bills, will build on the task force's early work and will assist with the prevention of these chronic and dreadful diseases into the future. For all those reasons I commend these bills to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The coalition will support this package of legislation, because it builds on important work that the coalition commenced in government to address the worrying issue of occupational dust diseases in Australia and respond to the growing incidence of silicosis. The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023 will create a legislative framework to establish and manage the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry, which will collect data on the incidence of respiratory diseases that are thought to be occupationally caused or exacerbated.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2023 makes consequential amendments to existing federal legislation in order to support the effective implementation of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023. The bill amends the Freedom of Information Act 1982 to exempt protected information included in the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Register from disclosure under the act protecting individuals' privacy or commercial interests.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Why is the bill important? It's a good guide to how we should go about health care right across Australia. Importantly for the nation, while the state agencies are responsible for the delivery of the health service, the direction given by government and the opportunity to work together as a nation on a particular problem, such as silicosis, is given to us here. Here we are in the parliament actually doing something exactly about that situation. I commend the bill to the House, and I look forward to its passing.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
2 speakers · 2 support
“The Greens are supportive of the establishment of a national dust disease registry to 'better protect and support workers and to recognise the incidence and severity of dust disease'. I want to note on the record the recommendations provided by Australia's leading public health organisations as to further amendments which could be made to improve this registry, specifically: that all occupational respiratory diseases found in the Safe Work Australia List of Deemed Diseases in Australia be prescribed and require notification to the registry upon diagnosis; that the annual public reports from the Commonwealth CMO be broadened to include occupation, main job task, industry and state; that, as a matter of priority, the registry be expanded to include, among other things, asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mesothelioma, work related asthma and occupational lung infections; that the addition of multiple exposures in 'additional notification information' should be included in the 'minimum notification information'; and, finally, to remove the restriction, subject to worker consent and ethical approval, on researchers' access to information contained in section 2 of the bill. The Greens strongly support these initiatives to strengthen the registry.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Greens won't oppose this bill. We will support the bill. I commend the work of my colleague Senator Steele-John for making the bill a little bit better. But the CFMEU has said loud and clear that, if the federal government doesn't move and put the ban on by the middle of next year, it will move and put a national ban on using this deadly product.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
3 speakers · 4 contributions · 3 support
“So although I'm very happy to support this bill, and I support the government's efforts in increasing and improving support for patients affected by occupational respiratory diseases, I also ask this government to show the vision that it needs to show to approach data collection within the Medicare system in a more holistic fashion, to look at better collating and assessing the manifold data that our medical professionals collect, to put together the many hundreds of individual disease registries that medical professionals in this country have already established, and to give us a vision for how health care and medical research—and the nexus between the two of those—can be improved in the future. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I want these bills to pass. I want my amendment to pass as well. If the government decide to not pass this bill because of this amendment, it will be because they prefer that neither passes. That is a decision for them to make. I cannot control how the Labor Party feels about this issue. I can only control how I feel about it. I feel like my amendment is worth passing. It's worth passing right now. I feel like the bill it seeks to amend is also worth passing. This is not an attempt to block or delay this bill from becoming law. If my amendment fails, I will support the bill. If my amendment succeeds, I will support the bill. So this bill is guaranteed to pass. The only way it could not is if my amendment were successful and the government decided they would rather do nothing than do more. I hope my amendment is successful. I hope the government decides to do more. I hope they take this opportunity to do it now.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Rebekha Sharkie on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Sharkie supports the bill and says the registry is needed to collect data, improve early detection and research, and stop silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. from repeating the tragedy seen with asbestos. She acknowledges reporting will add some work for doctors, but says that is a small burden for the benefits it would deliver.
“That's why I believe it is so important for us to be at the forefront of this. We need to raise awareness of this new emerging trend in silicosis, which is very much affecting young tradies. We need to enable collection of data on the disease and on those impacted, and we need to facilitate research to fight this and make sure we do this effectively. I do not want to see history repeating itself. Those women who are in their 60s and 70s, who were alone at that lunch, had been, I'm sure, hoping they would get to enjoy a retirement with their husband—that they would perhaps be one of those lucky couples, those grey nomads hitching the caravan to the back of the car and travelling around Australia together and enjoying those retirement years. But that was taken away from them. It was taken away from their husbands and it was taken away from these women. We cannot repeat that. I commend this bill and I commend the government for their actions on this registry.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Sharkie supports the bill and says a national registryThe national register that will collect and share data on work-related lung diseases so governments and doctors can spot patterns and risks earlier. is needed because silicosisA serious lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, and the main disease the registry is set up to track first. is rising rapidly in Australia, especially among workers exposed to engineered stoneA manufactured stone product linked in the page to high silica dust exposure and calls for a possible ban.. She argues the government cannot wait while the scale grows and points to the National Dust Disease TaskforceThe 2019 expert group that recommended creating a national registry to improve prevention and tracking of dust diseases. recommendation as the reason to act.
“We can't just wait for this to happen. Setting up a registry was recommended by the National Dust Disease Taskforce, which was set up when evidence started to emerge of increasing new and accelerated silicosis cases among workers with engineered stone. Unlike many historical forms of silicosis, screening programs in Australia—”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Senate · Committee of the Whole debate
Committee of the Whole debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final step that turned the bill into an Act and let the new legal protections begin., turning the bill into an Act.
Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Committee report (30/08/2023)
Referred to committee
Referred to Committee (3 Aug 2023): Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Committee report (30 Aug 2023)
APH bill page notes
