Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): I rise, albeit remotely, to speak on behalf of the thousands in my community that are struggling because of a value judgement made by the federal government. Last week the federal Parliament met to pass legislation to allow for millions of Australians to receive the JobKeeper wage subsidy—a subsidy that was put forward by federal Labor, and I must make it clear that I am thankful the federal government did take this step.
I know that the government cannot underwrite the entire economy. I know that governments cannot write blank cheques. I know that a line must be drawn. But right now a huge swathe of casual workers have be left on the wrong side of that line.
These workers have been left out in the cold because of the very privileged view of the federal Minister for Industrial Relations that all casual workers make the choice to be in insecure work, that all casual workers choose to forgo entitlements such as sick leave because that suits them better, that all casual workers have savings in reserve to see them through this pandemic.
These assumptions bear no basis in reality or the lived experiences of so many in my community.
I am aware that I speak from the state Parliament to call on the federal government to act. But something of this magnitude, of this consequence, bears speaking across jurisdictional lines.
I am calling on the federal Minister for Industrial Relations to walk in the shoes of real people across the country—real people who are casual workers, real people like the many restaurant and bar staff, retail workers, musicians and artists in my electorate of Northcote.
Not including workers that have not been with the same employer for more than 12 months affects so many people in my community, but it also affects so many of the businesses disrupted by this health crisis.
Moon Dog Brewery in Thornbury opened its doors to the electorate in October last year, bringing in over a hundred new jobs. Any casual workers in their team would not qualify for a wage subsidy with the venue being less than a year old.
The Andrews government will introduce legislation today to provide access to urgent funding to see Victorians through to the other side of this crisis.
As the Victorian Treasurer said yesterday, we are not giving up on one single job. It angers me that the federal government would.
