Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised not to rush a replacement home insulation scheme, in order to help out or work insulators.
The government has promised to pick up the pieces by looking after the estimated 6,000 workers left in the lurch following the scrapping of its botched subsidy program.
The prime minister says they'll be helped by a replacement program to start on June 1.
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Lessons to be learned
Labor backbencher Kelvin Thomson said there were lessons in the insulation program debacle for the government and the opposition.
"And that is that workplace safety, occupational health and safety is incredibly important," he told reporters in Canberra.
"The building and construction industry is a dangerous environment in which to work."
Workplace deaths in the industry rose from 19 in 2004-05 to 40 in 2007-08, Mr Thomson said.
"Both for government and opposition it's important that we recognise that the building and construction industry is a dangerous environment."
Abbott calls for Garrett's head
Meanwhile Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said fixing the issues of the failed program should start with Peter Garrett's dismissal.
"The first suggestion is to get rid of the minister," he said.
"There can be no confidence in the solution if it's being administered by the same minister that created the problem."
The government must prioritise fixing the thousands of roofs that may be electrified and the many more that had been badly insulated, as well as aiding worried insulators. Mr Abbott said.
Asked if he supported the replacement program, Mr Abbott said: "What I say is that the problems, the crisis that is now affecting everyone involved in this industry ... they need to be helped." Abbott crying croc tears
But backbenchers Tim Turnour and Julie Collins have accused the Opposition Leader of crying crocodile tears for sacked workers because the coalition had not supported the program in the first place.
"What we see from the opposition is a lot of politics being played on this issue," Mr Turnour said.
Ms Collins said the coalition was refusing to support the government's $41 million assistance package.
"What we are doing is supporting workers and Tony Abbott should be doing the same," she said.
Nationals MP Darren Chester said it was fortunate Mr Garrett was such a big man as he now had the whole cabinet hiding behind him.
"The only reason Peter Garrett still has his job is because he was acting under orders of the cabinet.
"They were asking him to shovel the money out the door as quickly as possible."
