Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week, we on this side are delivering on the Anthony Albanese Labor government's key election commitment to protect penalty rates for around 2.6 million Australian award recipients who rely on those to make ends meet. The reform will amend the Fair Work Act 2009 to legislate to protect and ensure that penalty rates and overtime rates in modern awards cannot be reduced or substituted by another term that would reduce an employee's take-home pay. It displays the priority that this government places on protecting and standing side by side with Australian workers. If only we could say that about those opposite!

We know that there are over 1.3 million retail workers across this country, and we know that they are on the front line. We know hospitality workers will be caught in this legislation as well. I want to talk about retail workers and how important it is that they have the strong advocacy of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, better known as the SDA, which has been at the forefront of ensuring that these rights are protected. I want to particularly acknowledge the secretary of the Tasmanian branch, Joel Tynan, for his commitment, along with all the other executives and the national secretary of the SDA, because this work is so important.

I can remember that during COVID everyone was singing the praises of those on the front line, which included retail workers. What we are now doing is delivering to make sure those workers get what they deserve—overtime and penalty rates. These are so important for these workers to be able to make their family's budget, to be able to afford to buy a home, to be able to afford their rent. I commend the union for their work and I condemn those opposite who are still opposed to this. Just like big business, they don't want to do the right thing by Australian workers. (Time expired)