Vic: Libs to spoil workplace death bill

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Vic: Libs to spoil workplace death bill

MELBOURNE, April 24 AAP - The Victorian opposition is set to spoil the Labor government'sindustrial manslaughter bill after vowing to block the new laws in the Upper House.

Under the proposed Crime (Workplace Death and Serious Injury) legislation, rogue employersin charge of unsafe work sites would face criminal prosecution and penalties of up tofive years jail.

Companies guilty of gross negligence faced maximum fines of $5 million.

Liberals leader Denis Napthine said yesterday the opposition, which has the numbersin the upper house to defeat the bill, had decided unanimously to oppose the laws.

Dr Napthine said the Liberal Party found the bill was flawed and could potentiallysend innocent people to jail.

"This Labor legislation goes in the wrong direction, it divides employer and employee,"

Dr Napthine said.

He said the Liberal Party would release its own policy on the issue in coming months.

Dr Napthine said defects in the Bracks government's legislation were illustrated inthe case of a farm death.

The law, if passed, could result in the bereaved widow of a farmer killed in a farmaccident being prosecuted and jailed for two years because she was a company director,he said.

But Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Leigh Hubbard said the farmer's wife wasalready subject to prosecution under the common law crime of manslaughter.

Mr Hubbard said the bill targeted cases of gross negligence, not accidents, where rogueemployer corporations were currently able to avoid criminal prosecution because of loopholesin the law.

More than 3,000 union members led by families of employees killed at work yesterdaystopped traffic as they marched through city streets calling for the Liberal Party supportfor the bill.

The bill had its genesis after the 1998 Longford gas explosion which claimed two lives.

Esso was found guilty on 11 criminal charges, the company was fined $2.75 million butno-one was held accountable for the men's deaths.

After two years in draft form, it was tabled in parliament last November.

AAP svm/jmd/sb

KEYWORD: MANSLAUGHTER DAYLEAD