A couple of weeks back @Rebecca Macfie reported in a Newsroom piece on her interview with WorkSafe chief exec Phil Parkes.

She noted that Parkes is pursuing a dual strategy: the regulator remains engaged in regular enforcement action and prosecutions, it is also seeking to tackle the wider causes of injury and illness by pursuing organisations with 'upstream duties' in the supply chain, challenging the contracting models in particular sectors, and putting the heat on senior people with officer duties sitting at the boardroom table.

Macfie notes that some within MBIE are uneasy at this new direction and would prefer WorkSafe "stick to its knitting" of enforcement.

What do you think - is Parkes pushing the regulator beyond its natural scope? Or is his agenda the kind of new approach worthy of a trial?