Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to take a moment to speak in support of the mighty Transport Workers' Union and the workers they represent across aviation. Aviation workers from across the country, from Qantas to Virgin, from city and regional airports and from contracting organisations came to Canberra calling for safe and secure skies. These are people working to keep our planes and our airports running and working to get you to your holiday, business trip or back home to your family. These are flight attendants, pilots and customer service, ground handling, refuelling, catering and security staff. What really stuck with me listening to these workers, particularly the ones who had been in the industry for a long time, is that they had said to me that jobs in aviation used to be good jobs. They used to be secure jobs, well-paid jobs, jobs that people were proud to have and jobs that people could build a career on and plan their lives around working in aviation. It wasn't just a job; it was something you could absolutely rely on.

That has slowly been chipped away. I heard from a pilot who said he's constantly being moved around different bases and different states with no certainty about where he'll be next. He said it's not just about the impact on him but about the impact on his family who get disrupted every single time he has to move. This is happening right now. In April, QantasLink will shut its flight and cabin crew bases in Canberra, Hobart and Mildura, displacing 71 employees, who will be offered redeployment to larger hubs. This is not what secure work looks like. But what I keep coming back to is this: we need to get back to a place where these are good jobs again, where people can rely on them, where they're treated fairly, and where people who keep this country moving are valued. That's what this fight is about.