MINISTERS STATEMENTS: EMPLOYMENT

Mr PALLAS (Werribee) (11:31:17): I rise to update the house about the challenges facing Victorian workers and the work that this government is doing to protect them. Yesterday the Fair Work (Commonwealth Powers) Amendment Bill 2018 passed the other place to provide a greater level of consistency and fairness for public sector workers right across our great state. It was a momentous day for Victorian workers, and it could only have been delivered by an Andrews Labor government. I was disappointed of course that those opposite, true to form, once again opposed the fair work bill. The Liberal Party of course have never been a friend of workers. They have never cared about ensuring secure employment for Victorians. It is no surprise that the federal Liberals here in Victoria and across the country have done a dirty deal with Clive Palmer’s vanity project—sorry, I mean Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party—a deal so dirty Bon Scott would have gained inspiration. Once again Australian workers have been done dirt cheap. The Andrews government is proud of its continuing efforts to improve the protections and rights of workers right across this great state. As a consequence of this bill becoming law, more than 130 000 Victorians, including teachers, child protection workers, speech therapists and legal aid staff, will be able to access bargaining rights like negotiating for secure employment. Across this state we have created, as a government, 460 000 new jobs since being elected, with more than 70 per cent of those being full time. That is what secure employment looks like. That is how you promote secure employment, not by doing dodgy deals with Clive Palmer, the battlers’ billionaire who, in his own words, does not give a stuff what anybody thinks—but caring has never really been his strong suit.