After industry and community uproar over the Andrews Labor Government’s attempts to cut down the rights of timber workers and contractors, Labor has caved in to intense pressure and stopped debate on its unfair Forests Bill in the Upper House today.

Earlier this week, the Andrews Labor Government introduced its Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2019, which sought to remove defences available to timber workers undertaking timber harvesting and increased penalties to $21,000 for workers and $109,000 for contractors.

The proposed new laws would have introduced new criminal offences if timber workers failed to comply with requirements under the Code of Practice for Timber Production. However, Labor has yet to release its new ‘overhauled’ Code of Practice, leaving timber workers in the dark about what they can and cannot do.

The Liberal Nationals moved a motion to stop debate on the Bill in the Upper House, but crossbenchers Fiona Patten, Andy Meddick and Samantha Ratnam voted with the Labor Government defeating the motion 19 to 16.

The Liberal Nationals also moved a number of amendments to provisions in the Bill which would have otherwise required timber workers to prove they were innocent when accused of acting unlawfully and removed statutory defences from prosecution, which timber workers have had access to for many years.

In a spectacular backflip this morning, the Andrew Labor Government moved to stop further debate on the Bill, which was midway through debating various amendments, with no reason given as to why.

This follows calls from the Liberal Nationals, timber contractors, timber workers and the CFMMEU Manufacturing Division on the Andrews Labor Government to withdraw the Bill.