Page questions Government on Green Cards for tradespeople
The failure of the NSW Government to keep records on who has been issued ‘Green Cards’ authorising tradespeople to work on building sites is causing experienced qualified tradespeople to redo their Green Card course at a cost of $110 and one day off work or lose their jobs, Ballina MP Don Page said in Parliament today.
Mr Page asked the following question of the Government in the House:
“Is it a bureaucratic bungle or a Labor revenue-raising exercise that your Government has failed to keep basic records of tradespeople who have completed their General Construction OH&S Induction Card or Green Card, forcing experienced and qualified builders, welders and plumbers to either recomplete the course at a cost of $110 and a lost day’s work or lose their jobs?”
Mr Page said forcing experienced tradespeople with 30-plus years experience to do an induction course to get a Green Card they already had was the latest example of the State Labor Government’s record of incompetence.
“Is this Government incompetent (by not having kept records of Green Card holders) or are they just greedy for the $110 tradespeople will have to pay?” he asked.
Mr Page said the NSW Government’s ‘lame excuse’ was that they apparently conducted a media campaign asking all Green Card holders to contact the WorkCover Authority prior to end of April 2006.
“The fact that many tradespeople did not know they were supposed to re-apply for something they already had shows the media campaign was a failure,” he said.
Mr Page said that while the Government had offered an extension to allow holders of a previous Green Card to continue using that card until September 1, 2006, without being fined, they were still required to re-do the course.
“This is unacceptable and tradesmen who have not updated their card because of the Government’s incompetency should not be required to re-do the course,” Mr Page said.
He said a builder in Ballina with 40 years experience who had his Green Card issued to him as recently as April 2002 was now having to do another induction course.
“Another Ballina welder with 27 years experience has suffered the same fate. This welder also has a staff member who is similarly affected, so his business will have to forego two days income and pay $220 just because the WorkCover Authority can’t keep proper records!” he said.
“At a time when we have a shortage of skilled tradespeople, this bureaucratic bungling is inexcusable”, Mr Page said.
“Experienced and qualified tradespeople should not have to leave work for a day and pay $110 to get something they already have just because the NSW Government is incompetent.”
