Page 1056 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 May 2006
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Not far from the thoughts of Brant’s and Todd’s families were their grieving neighbours. The day an earthquake came to Beaconsfield will be embedded deeply in the memories of this community. So too will the tragic loss of their friend, neighbour and colleague. Beaconsfield has joined that unenviable club of communities which have had to pick up the pieces after a workplace death, and this club is not insignificant in its silence. It is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, with the possibility of many more injuries and/or deaths with the introduction of the federal government’s radical new legislative changes.
Although the Stanhope Labor government is a strong, progressive government, it will not be long before the people of the ACT feel the negative impacts of these new laws. We as elected representatives of the ACT have a right to stand up and fight for the members of our community. We are expected to protect the positive working conditions for Canberra families. With the impact of modern working conditions on Canberra families becoming more and more apparent, it is the strength of working families and their rights to choose that keep them strongly together.
Mr Speaker, last night I had the honour of attending the 75th anniversary of the Trades and Labour Council in the ACT: 75 years of combining the efforts of workers and unions to protect their working conditions. It is through the efforts of these unions that we have heard about the positive effects of members of our community maintaining their employment.
In late March, the day after the new WorkChoices legislation was introduced, a Boral worker by the name of Tim Bollard was retrenched. I use the word “retrenched” as it has a much softer tone to it, but it still means the same thing, Mr Speaker: he was sacked. Mr Bollard was affected by the modern working conditions that affect other members of our community. Tim Bollard went home the night he was sacked and explained to his wife and five children that he would no longer be able to support them as he was unemployed.
Mr Speaker, the impact of the modern working conditions on a now well-known family in Canberra was huge. As Mr Bollard was a long time member of his union, he had the support of both union officials and his workmates to stand up and fight for a positive outcome, and that is exactly what occurred. In this case, Mr Bollard was reinstated and he has been able to continue to work to support his family as well as contribute to the ACT economy.
As previously mentioned, I attended the 75th anniversary of the centralised union organisation in the ACT. It was a wonderful evening, with many employees being present there to support what the unions are doing to help maintain positive outcomes in the workplace. I stand here today both to reaffirm my commitment to the community that elected me and to reaffirm my commitment to the union movement in the battle it is faced with to protect the working conditions of Canberra families and to compliment the Stanhope Labor government on the ACT’s modern working conditions and the positive steps that have been taken to maintain the high levels of OH&S policies as well as fair working conditions.
MRS BURKE (Molonglo) (4.05): I note that this is the first matter of public importance introduced by Mr Gentleman in some time that does not include any direct reference to
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