Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

In the last few days we have seen a proposition advanced that, somehow, workers should not be interested in issues of job security. Without job security people cannot plan for their future, whether it is about getting married, buying a house or deciding to start a family. Job security determines whether people can make these sorts of big life decisions. Taking away job security causes people to worry and think twice about these things. They also worry about investing.

The Fair Work Act allows people to address issues of job security with their employer. It has restored unfair dismissal protections and given workers the freedom and flexibility to bargain about issues that are important to them. They get to discuss whether or not their hours of work are maintained and they get to discuss the sort of things that are important to them and their families. Labor is unapologetic about saying that these things ought to be open to workers and their unions— (Time expired)