Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Industrial Relations) — I rise to inform the house of terrible developments for hundreds of thousands of workers in the state of Victoria. Now that the Queen's Birthday public holiday has passed, workers in the fast-food, hospitality, retail and pharmacy sectors will have their pay slashed for all future public holidays.
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Local Government) — I rise to commend the excellent work of the Victorian Labor government in undertaking to build the infrastructure that Victorians need after four long years of neglect and incompetence by the Baillieu-Napthine government.
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Industrial Relations) — How absolutely offensive and ironic that those opposite want to talk about equity in the workplace. When they were in government, the words 'equal pay' and 'access to flexibility' were not even in their vocabulary. From the former minister for industrial relations, we heard not one comment in this house in four years about equal pay.
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Local Government) — I recently had the privilege of visiting the Keilor Downs and Caroline Springs police stations to meet with officers and senior officers to talk through improvements to community safety.
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Local Government) — I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Speech as follows incorporated into Hansard under standing orders:
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Local Government) — Tragedy struck in my electorate last Friday, 17 March, when a tip truck and dog collided with four other cars. In fact the truck drove straight over the top of one car on the inbound section of the Calder Freeway near Kings Road and Taylors Road.
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Industrial Relations) — I rise to inform the house about some very important matters in my industrial relations portfolio, in particular some recent developments that I am very disappointed to announce to the house — the fact that the Fair Work Commission is looking to further cut penalty rates across new sectors that were not announced in the recent decisions. Those sectors will include — —
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Local Government) — Speaker, I take the opportunity to congratulate you on your election as Speaker. You are doing an awesome job so far. I rise to talk about the matter of public importance (MPI) that has been put before the house by the member for Werribee. I particularly want to focus my comments in and around point 2 of the MPI, which talks about the Victorian government helping Victorians to own their home.
Ms HUTCHINS (Minister for Industrial Relations) — I rise to update the house on the establishment of the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council on this International Women's Day. I take this chance to congratulate all the women in the chamber who are here today and wish them, along with all our female staff members who service us so well here in the Parliament and the women in the gallery upstairs, a happy International Women's Day.