Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can stand up or you can stand by. This is the simple life lesson my dad taught me that has shaped not only my personal beliefs but my political career. It's the reason why I'm in this place and proud to be part of a government that has put working conditions and working rights back at the forefront of the agenda. The Labor Party is the party that was built by workers on the foundation of the great Australian labour movement. We are older than Federation, and we have grown and matured with the needs of the Australian people throughout the years. The core values that underpin the legislative agenda that this government has taken on, working conditions and reforms, are incredibly important to me. With the passage of the recent Fair Work legislation in this House and the passing of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill, I, along with my Labor colleagues, can proudly say we are standing up for the workers of Australia.

It is why it is also great to hear the Minister for Employment Workplace Relations talk about the current steps this government is taking to tackle silicosis. The member for Casey may laugh, but this is an important issue. It is why I commend the campaign that the unions have been running to raise awareness on the deadly dust, and I thank the ACTU for meeting with me and talking about this critical issue. No worker should ever have to be put into a position that will affect their safety and health in both the short and the long-term.

A study from Curtin University shows that between 80,000 and 100,000 people may be affected with silicosis. Six hundred thousand workers are exposed to silica dust each year, across a wide range of industries, whether it be cutting the marble for those fancy benchtops or from the dust of the cut rocks and mines. It's why the government has committed nearly $10 million to tackle silicosis in the recent budget. We are actively investing in the protection of workers' health. This is an additional investment, on top of the $3.9 million invested at the beginning of the year, that will go a long way to combating this deadly dust.

Educational programs and working with the states and territories are needed for more decisive bans. We are fixing the legislation and educational holes that have let workers fall through the cracks. Workplace rights are what brought me here, and I will stand up for the rights of workers for as long as I am able to serve in this place.

I entered the workforce when I was 16—a long time ago, when I had a full head of hair and they still made good music. I was a shoemaker in a company called Koala Shoes. I worked in a factory of 800 people with a bunch of my mates and a lot of new migrant workers who had limited or zero English. They were classified as unskilled, but I dare say that not many people in this place have anywhere near the abilities that they had.

Because they didn't have the greatest English they were often subjected to rampant discrimination. I remember a lady who was a grandmother. She had a job just to feed her family in this new country. She was spraying lacquer and solvent on the shoes. There was no exhaust fan, and she collapsed from the fumes. That wasn't an uncommon occurrence. The employer didn't care for her wellbeing. They only cared about the production line and the profits. All the employer cared about was making sure they had the outcomes and high levels of production.

Migrant workers in this factory had no voice and no way of standing up for themselves. I remember watching on and remembering the lesson my dad told me: stand by or stand up. Where they didn't have a voice, I used mine. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right for these people, and I had an obligation to stand up and address the wrongs. We as a government have an obligation to stand up and address wrongs. We have an obligation to stand up for workers' safety, and that's what we're doing.

I commend the recent campaigns by the unions in raising awareness of silicosis. I commend the government for our work with the unions to protect workers' safety and lives. I look forward to seeing what will be done in this space.

I want to just quickly mention the Diamond Creek Junior Football Club. This Friday night they're having a sleep-out for motor neuron disease. We will have some Danihers there and some other AFL and WAFL footballers. I commend the club for what they're doing, the way they're working in the community and what they're doing to make sure that this horrible disease has got prominent awareness. I'm going to try to pop in there on Friday night. I know the kids are looking forward to it. The whole Diamond Creek community is behind this event to make sure that we have a successful event and raise lots of money to end this scourge. I say to the Diamond Creek Junior Football Club and the president: 'Well done. Keep up the great work. Thank you for all you're doing for our kids and our community.'

Question agreed to.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 13:02