Page 102 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2019

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That order of the day No 2, Private Members’ business, being the Lands Acquisition (Reporting Requirements) Amendment Bill 2018, be discharged from the Notice Paper.

Employment—secure local jobs code

MS CODY (Murrumbidgee) (10.07): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) thanks all Canberrans who worked through the summer break, especially:

(a) first responders, health, sanitation, and other public services staff who kept our Territory safe and healthy through summer;

(b) workers in the hospitality industry who make Canberra a fun place to be; and

(c) all those who did not take leave, in order to let their colleagues spend time with family and friends;

(2) notes that the ACT Government has delivered on its commitment for a Secure Local Jobs package that ensures the ACT Government only procures services from businesses that meet the highest ethical and labour standards by:

(a) implementing a certification regime that ensures businesses tendering for government work treat workers fairly and uphold their workplace rights;

(b) enhancing compliance and enforcement measures to ensure that these businesses continue to meet their workplace obligations; and

(c) providing a clear, transparent process for resolving issues that arise with respect to ACT Government contracts;

(3) further notes that the Federal Government:

(a) continues a policy of reducing penalty rates, showing they do not value the contribution of first responders and others who work on public holidays, weekends and other unsociable shifts;

(b) has no plan to lift wage growth;

(c) invests taxpayer resources in harassing unions, rather than protecting workers’ rights; and

(d) continues to undermine the integrity, professionalism and morale of the Commonwealth Public Service by outsourcing, poor hiring practices, bad faith industrial relations, and public denigration; and

(4) calls on the Assembly to:

(a) pass on the thanks of the Assembly to ACT Government employees who worked unsociable hours over summer;

(b) continue to explore ways to improve the job security and employment conditions of all Canberrans; and

(c) continue phased implementation of the local jobs code, and to ensure ACT Government work only goes to businesses with the highest labour and ethical standards.

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