Tony Abbott was Minister for Health in 2005 when 1,790 people died at work for the year and 39,510 people were fully incapacitated on his watch. I did not hear him rise up and mourn the death of workers on the job then, no tears then. People feel the need to defend him. It is as if politics is like football where you stick by your team right or wrong.
If we suffered 34 killed in Afghanistan and 780 fully incapacitated each week, it would be a national tragedy.
The dollar cost to Australia 2005 workplace losses was $Billion 57.5.
The data came from the Australian Safety and Compensation Council National Survey, Costs of Workplace Injury and Illness: reviewing the estimation methodology and estimates of the level and distribution of costs, Report by Access Economics P/L.
Mr Abbott and Hockey now cry crocodile tears over 4 people whose names they have already forgotten. Perhaps a journo should ask them who Mitchell Sweeney is? They use the recent tragedies of 4 deaths at work for their political purposes, without a thought for the hurt they do to the surviving families”.

The figures quoted came from a 5 year survey where the next data will be available 2011.
My point is that I did not hear any sobbing and gnashing of teeth coming out of Abbott’s Office when 16 electricians died in roof spaces in 2005. Let alone 1,790 of his fellow countrymen died at work.
Oh and by the way 1,030 permanently disabled that year were Tasmanian. 30 Tasmanians' Died and the cost to this state 1n $ losses was 1.6 Billion Dollars in 2005-200

Isn't being two faced and getting away with it what a successful minister does. the overall lies and deceptions of both sides of politics in the run up to and running of the election was appalling. The Liberal party used many misconceptions as justification to remove the government, was this not good politics. It was the failure of the government to sell its side of the story that cost them.
Though this maybe the reality of modern politics i must say that the incompetence of the Australian media and in particular the lack of objectivity from the media particularly the Murdoch press and the Sydney shock jocks cost many voters the opportunity to understand what was really going on in a lot of these situations.
I agree totally that the use of the deaths of 4 people to condemn a government when very little was made of where the real responsibilities lay in the issue was devoid of moral responsibility and lowered my view of the coalition even more than the governments incompetent handling of the scheme. An ignorant public fired up by a biased media drove the mis truths to a point where no one questions them. Well it is time Mr Abbott take full moral responsibility for every person that died or was injured while he was Health minister. Not a pretty sight is it.

With all due respect, I checked your source and I'm afraid your numbers are not borne out by that source.

It says that the total number of workplace fatalities was 393, not your figure of 1,790.

It says the total number of fully-incapacitated was 22,100 not the 39,510 you claim.

How did you derive your figures?

Please note,I'm not interested in the political discussion, just the figures. Overegging the pudding doesn't make it better.

well that's nothing compared to those [incl me] he was prepared to "let go" from chook flu

see my utube from back then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gLcmbhII-o

like 50,000 dead ain't too bad he says coz it's only 1 in 5000

DD,
Very dramatic video. Not sure i agree with the tactic. Problem is human nature is to remember the good and not the bad. Mr Abbott has been responsible for some terrible health decisions and is one of the main reasons we got rid of the lib's in the first place.
Pity we don't remember that now

The Link below will give you the data on page 35. The survey covers injury, workplace caused disease and illness. The Data you may be using only looks at direct accident on site, no Asbestos, chemical, viral etc incidents.
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/EAD5247E-98E7-4750-A35E-A6BC9B1E7781/0/CostsofWorkRelatedInjuryAndDisease_Mar2009.pdf

The costs are explained in detail and are indeed shocking. That is probably why politicians on all sides, federal and state studiously ignore them in their race to the bottom to win industry investment And jobs, jobs, jobs to their patch.
And "damn the consequences, full steam ahead"!

What a pathetic attempt to demonize Abbot. Sure you might not like his policies or beliefs but to be so deceitful scoops very low. Just come straight out and vent your hatred instead of this deceit.

You're right, I wasn't considering the disease aspects. I realised after I posted, but figured you'd work it out.

Over the past 20 years death rates have declined for both males and females for all ages. The largest proportional decreases in male age-specific death rates over this period occurred in the 10-14 years (down 62%) and 15-19 years age groups (down 58%). For females, the 5-9 years age group experienced the largest proportional decrease (down 56%), followed by females aged 15-19 years (down 52%)

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/E47083301566CE0DCA2576780025A2FB?opendocument

Under the coalition health minister life expectancies increased dramatically. Either the coalition's policies worked or a magic fairy made every one healthier.

JJW thanks few care but even Labor took injured workers rights away.
Abbott has developed the art of making people forget it is not the real Tony we are seeing.
His record on health his promised cuts stands in the spotlight tonight.
He offered a billion dollar bribe to one hospital?

Very dramatic video. Not sure i agree with the tactic. Problem is human nature is to remember the good and not the bad. Mr Abbott has been responsible for some terrible health decisions and is one of the main reasons we got rid of the lib's in the first place.
Pity we don't remember that now

---

to clarify, the video was done in 2007, helping to get rid of the Rodent

Is there such a thing as an honest politician?
I'd like to think there is. I'd like to think
that a lot of the problems that we've encountered
was as a result of Party policies rather than the
ability of individuals involved.

We can only hope that after this recent Election,
things will improve, and that politicians
will get the message that Party loyalties should
not matter more than doing what's good for the
nation.

I'm placing my faith in the Independents to guide
the Parliament in the right direction.

DD, i get that the video is old . I just felt the footage was a bit over the top. I prefer to see death camp footage used to high light ethnic cleansing not gross negligence. Other wise the point is made.
SM, Yes that maybe correct (i have not checked your figures) but these are achieved not through the governments improvements to programs, funding and infrastructure but by advances in medical technology and procedure. Successive governments have cut back on scientific and medical research and sold off vital and strategic bodies such as CSL. we are a joke when it comes to the funding of these issues and if left to the private sector as the lib's so strongly believe we will only get more low quality drugs in the system that make people sick and companies rich.
One reason for the improvement in mens health is that it is not taboo for men to talk about it anymore that is social change not government policy.

John I agree that the focus on selected deaths does not stack up. Your post though looks like crocodile tears used to facilitate a political attack on just one side.

How many died while the Hawke or Keating governments were in power? Do you have reason to believe that the trends in work related fatalities or incapacitation's was substantially different during Rudd's watch?

Have other politicians behaved in a markedly better manner than Abbott when it comes to the tactics you attack Abbott over?

When was the last time you saw a PM (from any party) turn up at the funeral of an electrician or a road worker killed on the job?

I don't think that Abbott had much to do with workplace safety but you might care to look at the trends on the rates of workplace fatalities in the report at http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/75DC1241-76F2-4737-90F8-B75D3A2A78A7/0/Key_work_health_safety_statistics_2010.pdf

"Result: While Australia has one of the fastest falling fatality rates among the best performing countries world wide, it has remained in 7th place" (page 5)

R0bert

Robert;
The purpose of the 'Crocodile tears' was to point out that while people at work are ignored when they become casualties, Abbott suddenly found compassion for deaths at work, when he could make political capital out of what he calls a 'Debacle' without also condemning the invisible slaughter in the world of work.
After watching, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gLcmbhII-o
I am convinced Abbott has zero emotional intelligence. But when ever I hear any politician call us "the people out there', I worry about whether we are on the same planet.
Just imagine how much blood and treasure we would save if politicians really cared what happened to workers and service men and women.

DD, i get that the video is old . I just felt the footage was a bit over the top. I prefer to see death camp footage used to high light ethnic cleansing not gross negligence. Other wise the point is made.
--
I agree, BUT the smart leaders [or those that pull their strings] no longer do OBVIOUS ethic cleansing as in former Iraq, but smart EC, and the Mad Monk in that interview was over the moon that chook flu would have made him the decider of WHO gets the anti-viral and who does not, and he had made it clear that Aged Pensioners would NOT, if you see the whole interview.

But small change [at 50,000 dead] compared to american EC [or depopulation as they call it] with 40 million so far wiped out by their AIDS genocide in Africa, all started from the man made AIDS virus from the Manhattan Experiment in 1980, and then holding these countries to ransom by witholding the anti viral drugs.

so a win-win for america, either make trillions from supply the drugs or let them die and take the OIL, because in the end OIL is the HUGE problem facing america in years to come.

The movie Avatar says 150 years but it could be way sooner.

RObert:
Amazed at the Machiavellian twist due to WorkChoices, exposed in http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/75DC1241-76F2-4737-90F8-B75D3A2A78A7/0/Key_work_health_safety_statistics_2010.pdf
John Howard's individual contracts made many people self employed contractors who are not counted in workplace stats. The other interesting fact reported was the total number of work-related disease fatalities has been conservatively estimated to be at least 2000 deaths per year.
In 2007, there were 551 registered deaths attributed to mesothelioma: an increase on the 486 deaths registered in 2006.
It has been estimated that the numbers will not peak until after
2013. page 11.
Just shows how you can hide data in plain site.

John I'd still like you to explain why Abbott is singled out and other politicians ignored. Whilst I don't like the spin etc I'm not seeing anything different from him on that than appears to be the norm from most politicans.

Polly's can and do hid stat's in plane view by definitions which are not what most would expect. Again whilst Abbott is less than impressive tell me why he get's singled out for your ire/

Mesothelioma is a long term issue, deaths from it while Abbott was health minister are unrelated to workplace conditions at that time.

We should be able to expect better from those who seek to lead, that's not likely to happen while it seems to be Ok for one side to do it but not the other.

R0bert

RObert;
Abbott reference to Bernie Banton suggesting the the man dying of Mesothelioma was somehow using his disease to gain sympathy for his cause.
Abbott, Ruddick, Andrews, Howard, Bishop, all displayed lack of empathy for others and a driving need to crush unions, as if all union members were criminals and communists who had to be smashed.
My experience of unions has been over all positive, most members were just good people with like interest who joined together to protect those interests, only to find that a class of people who saw themselves as natural rulers saw Unions, the members as some terrible threat.
I noted earlier how individual contracts meant that one's injury or death would not be counted as workplace stats, so Abbott's employer mates had less of an insurance bill.
these and many more are the reason why I see these people as 'just another set of politicians'.
Cheers

Abbott, Ruddick, Andrews, Howard, Bishop, all displayed lack of empathy for others and a driving need to crush unions, as if all union members were criminals and communists who had to be smashed.

--

you forgot Mal Brough [pronounced Bruff as in Gruff] and his policy [with Howard and Hockey] to label CSA payers [all of them] as "deadbeat dads" [another lousy amurukin pronk] and "chase deadbeats to their graves".

That one took the cake

JJ Ward, you seem not to know that the subbie structure in the construction industry was fully in place by the time Work Choices and Abbott came along. This started in the mid '80's after the demise of the BLF and the introduction of compulsory Super.
Additionally, you practise what you criticise in Abbott. Politicising this in this manner is hypocritical.

the bottom line is it matters not what abbott does or thinks as he has always been the junior partner in the Abbott & Costello mash, righ back to the Bob Ellis an Danial DNA matters.

IF Abbott makes it [and seems not] there would be an "unfortunate death" of an ALP member and a by election where [just like my mate Wozza Entsch up here in FNQ] Capt Smirk would suddenly come out of the woodwork and get elected and within 2 weeks be the PM

THAT dear friends is Our Worst Nightmare