00:0020 years ago Guy Hudson lost his son Matthew. He was killed in a workplace incident when
00:08he was just 16 years old. Mr Hudson has been fighting for the introduction of industrial
00:12manslaughter laws in Tasmania ever since.
00:16In 20 years 162 people have died in Tasmania at work. Something like this comes in to protect
00:23our loved ones. It might give a little bit of reason to those lives and that people haven't
00:29died in vain.
00:32Last night that fight was won.
00:34Give some justice and meaning for those to come and there will be those that come.
00:40The bill was introduced by the Labor opposition. The government argued the law change wasn't
00:44needed and tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill.
00:48This is about preventing workplace deaths but it's also about justice to victims and
00:52their families who have for many years campaigned for these laws.
00:56We'll be able to make it clear that if you do the wrong thing and you are negligent and
01:02someone dies there will be significant consequences.
01:07Still not all are on board. The Small Business Council says the legislation places an unfair
01:13burden on the state's small businesses.
01:15To introduce a separate bill like this is a complete waste of time, energy and public
01:19funds. The answer would be to add industrial manslaughter to the existing criminal code.
01:24The legislation imposes a maximum penalty of 21 years jail time for individuals and
01:30fines of up to $18 million for bodied corporates. Advocates are confident the laws will result
01:35in a system that's more just for victims and their families.
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