Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those of you who enjoyed my first speech already know I come from working-class stock. Before I wore this pin, I wore steel caps. I even bought beers while studying. I did this for a rate of $8 an hour thanks to the Liberal government's work choices. Getting by on this rate meant struggling to pay for rent and groceries.

I am proud to stand here as a member of the great Australian Labor Party because we're on the side of workers. We get it; we've lived the reality of trying to make a living and we're determined to lift standards—not engage in a race to the bottom like those opposite. That's why, last week, the Albanese Labor government introduced the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 to make sure penalty and overtime rates can't be traded away and that no worker is left worse off. It safeguards the take-home pay of around 2.6 million award-reliant Australian workers, including in my electorate of Moore. This bill protects the people who keep our shops open and our hospitals running 24/7—the shift workers who keep the lights on when many people are at home with their family. Protecting penalty rates is about respecting people's time and effort. I've stood on job sites and picket lines, and I know what a few extra dollars on a Sunday means for the family budget. People shouldn't need multiple jobs to cover the basics. (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.