Page 963 - Week 03 - Thursday, 7 April 2022

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Such a fund would also help businesses who wish to transition into a co-operative structure to do so; and

(3) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) provide accessible information on the establishment of co-operatives and other alternative business models that prioritise workers’ rights and dividends to their workers and communities to deliver social goods;

(b) explore the utility of establishing a unit within the ACT Government to assist prospective co-operatives to navigate existing processes required to establish co-operatives and other alternative business models;

(c) investigate the potential benefits and appropriate mechanisms for providing financial assistance of the formation of co-operatives and alternative business models or the transformation of businesses into co-operatives and alternative business models;

(d) seek to understand what Bologna in Italy is doing to make it a world leader in co-operative industry and, after considering this research, consider establishing an ongoing dialogue or formal partnership with that jurisdiction; and

(e) report back to the Assembly on these inquiries by 30 June 2023.

I am really happy to talk about this motion today. It is a private member’s motion developed and circulated by Mr Davis, who, unfortunately, is absent today due to personal reasons. He is disappointed about that because he was really excited to talk about this.

This motion is about supporting our co-ops. I want to start by painting a picture of how co-ops can transform a city. Every morning in the Italian city of Bologna, bicycle couriers deliver to nearby businesses bread freshly baked at local bakeries. The same network of couriers delivers books from the city’s libraries and food from grocery stores to residents’ homes. Unlike other delivery platforms, businesses in Bologna do not pay a commission to be a part of this delivery service, and the riders earn significantly more than workers do for other apps like Deliveroo or Uber Eats. These workers also get insurance for accidents and illness.

This service is called Consegne Etiche, which translates to “ethical deliveries”. Consegne Etiche is a co-operative. Its courier platform is not just a delivery service; it is actually part of the social fabric of the community. The promise of the gig economy was that workers could break free from the nine-to-five grind, setting their own hours and making money on the side as they pursued their passions. But the reality has looked very different from that. These apps have become full-time contract jobs for gig workers, and contractors are denied benefits while gig companies lobby to further erode worker protections such as the right to unionise. Rather than sharing in the success of these new businesses, workers have gotten just a small piece of the pie and job security is weaker than ever before.

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