Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) | Hansard source

Thank you again, Senator White. As you would recall, it used to be that those who were in insecure jobs tended to be students or people looking for some short-term work. Now, all too often, it's people trying to support a family or run a household. Now, too many Australians are stuck in insecure work, particularly those workers who have been stuck in casual employment arrangements for too long. The latest figures show that there are approximately 851,000 casual employees with regular working arrangements, but these workers do not receive paid leave entitlements. They may struggle to make financial plans for the future. They are more likely to expect to lose their job for involuntary reasons. They are more likely to be underemployed, and they are more likely to be female. There are legitimate uses for genuine casual employment, but indefinite casual employment should never be used as a loophole to undercut worker pay and conditions. The Albanese government will close this loophole, and we hope the whole chamber will join us in doing so.