Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (10:00): Yesterday marked five years since the devastating trench collapse in Delacombe that killed Charlie Howkins and Jack Brownlee. There are not enough words to thank Jack’s parents Janine and Dave Brownlee and Charlie’s wife Lana Cormie for their extraordinary courage, determination and advocacy, which resulted in the introduction of Victoria’s landmark workplace manslaughter laws.

All workplace deaths are preventable, and what happened on that tragic day five years ago in Delacombe was the result of unsafe working conditions. Our workplace manslaughter laws will save lives, and we are all indebted to Janine, Dave and Lana as well as the Victorian Trades Hall Council, Ballarat Trades Hall, the mighty union movement and former Attorney-General Jill Hennessy and her ministerial office for making these laws a reality. Every worker deserves to come home alive.

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