03 June 2025

Mr TIM JAMES (Willoughby) (12:47): My question is directed to the Minister for Building. In 2018 he voted to remove section 39 of the Workers Compensation Act, with its 20 per cent threshold. On 15 May this year he reserved his position on workers compensation reform. Now, this Government wants to go to 31 per cent for psychological injury. Will he now backflip on his 2018 position?

[Interruption]

The SPEAKER: The member for Willoughby will resume his seat. Government members will come to order. The member for Keira will come to order. I am confident the Minister can answer the question. I call the member for Keira to order for the first time.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (12:48): I am always delighted to get a question about workers, because there is only one party in this Parliament when it comes to workers, and that is Labor.

The SPEAKER: Members will come to order.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: In this debate about workers compensation let us not forget that it is also about issues for small business. I would have thought the shadow Minister for Small Business would advocate for small business to ensure that there is always downward pressure on costs so they can employ more people, be more profitable and grow the economy.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Wahroonga to order for the second time.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: My position on this issue is very simple. It is a secret; I have not told anybody. It is contained in the legislation. It is the same as the Premier, my Cabinet colleagues and every Labor MP. What is the position of members opposite? When they get up to debate the bill, are they going to say that small businesses are not their constituents anymore? Labor is the party of small business. What is the position of those opposite on this issue?

Mr Tim James: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: The Minister will resume his seat. The member for Willoughby rises on a point of order.

Mr Tim James: My point of order relates to Standing Order 129, direct relevance. Will the Government be backflipping on its 2018 position, yes or no?

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Minister has the call. Members will come to order.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: I am delighted to hear the point of order from the shadow Minister for Small Business because, as members will know, the founder of the Liberal Party, Robert Menzies, said:

The greatest function of a democratic government is to create a climate in which enterprise will flourish and productivity will increase …

The member for Willoughby said that shall be his compass. I tell you what, that is a wonky compass.

Ms Eleni Petinos: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: The Clerk will stop the clock.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: The madness is it is not working.

The SPEAKER: The Minister will resume his seat. The member for Miranda rises on a point of order. I call the member for Keira to order for the second time. What is the member for Miranda's point of order.

Ms Eleni Petinos: My point of order is under Standing Order 74. The Minister is being deliberately quarrelsome in espousing the views of Robert Menzies back to this side of the House.

The SPEAKER: I appreciate the point of order, but I do not uphold it. The Minister has the call.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: This issue has come before the Parliament. The Government's position is clear. It is written in in the legislation.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Willoughby to order for the first time.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: My question is: What is the position of members opposite? When those opposite go to their local chambers, to Business NSW or to their constituents, what will they say? How are they going to vote? What is their guiding compass? I tell you what, it is going east-west, south-north—it is spinning around.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Terrigal to order for the second time.

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: It has no direction and no purpose, and members opposite have no principles when it comes to this issue.

The SPEAKER: Order! I direct the member for Goulburn to remove herself from the Chamber under Standing Order 249A until the end of question time.

[Pursuant to standing order the member for Goulburn left the Chamber at 12:52.]

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: If the Opposition was the real party of small business, it would support the Government's position.