Page 1009 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 May 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
support and this government will always stand for. Trade unions have fought for decades to achieve the social and economic advancement of working people. Just last week we celebrated May Day, a day in which all unionists and allies of working people celebrate the hard-fought workplace benefits we enjoy today. I am pleased to support this bill and stand with my colleagues in the government who are wholeheartedly committed to improving the lives of workers within the ACT.
In closing, I acknowledge Ms Cody’s continued advocacy for working people in this city and thank her for bringing this important bill to the Assembly. As Labor members, we are here to represent the interests of workers throughout the ACT and this bill contributes to this objective. I commend the bill and Minister Rattenbury’s proposed amendments to the Assembly.
MS CODY (Murrumbidgee) (4.22), in reply: I start by thanking everyone who was involved in the development of my bill, particularly those workers who will benefit from it. I take a moment to thank the justice and community safety committee for their report that they handed down in support of these amendments and in support of my bill moving forward. It was a wonderful committee to work on and it was a great opportunity to examine the bill in its fullest form.
When I started this journey, who would have thought that we would be dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic? Whilst the pandemic has caused so many things to change rapidly, as leaders of our community it is important that we maintain our focus on ensuring that the things that should stay the same do. Our respect for each other should not change. Our focus on delivering for the people of Canberra should not change. Our commitment to democracy should not change. And our focus on the rights of all people should not change. My commitment to workers rights has not changed.
The priority this bill has been given has demonstrated this Labor government’s commitment to workers rights. Not only has our commitment to workers rights stood strong through the pandemic; it has reinforced to me that including workers rights in the Human Rights Act is necessary. Our newspapers are filled with stories of bad bosses, including those across the lake, attempting to use the pandemic as an excuse to rip workers off.
The Canberra Liberals are at it as well. Just last week I saw the opposition yet again attack a union for trying to protect its members. The AEU, according to Mr Coe, have now won the trophy as Canberra’s most powerful union. I hope the CFMEU are not too disappointed that they have lost that trophy. Who knows? Maybe Mr Coe was just a little confused. I hear Mr Hanson could provide him with some guidance about leadership and defaming unions. Mr Coe informed the Canberra community that teachers do not deserve to be protected from workplace hazards, which is just the sort of thing we are used to hearing from the Canberra Liberals.
The majority of members of this place say that workers should not be exposed to deadly devices, poisons or diseases at work. Having failed at getting our hardworking teachers exposed to disease, what will be next? Poisons or devices? Maybe he will take a leaf out of Donald Trump’s book and go for bleach. My apologies,
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video