Page 820 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 21 March 2017
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MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (4.27): This is something that I feel particularly strongly about. I have had my own lived experience, like many others, working in hospitality for eight years. For me, and for others, it was not just a bit of extra cash, a bit of pocket money. This was my job; it was my career. But to make ends meet, public holiday work, night shifts and weekend work were the only ways that would make my wage worth anything much at all.
For me and the people that I worked alongside, luckily we were provided with a free meal for an eight-hour shift. I can say that for many who were provided with that meal, that was the only decent meal that they would have had on that day. They certainly would not have been able to afford to purchase it themselves on the wages that they were earning.
I am moving on from there now as a mother with two young children. I catch up with my friends at an annual catch-up at Christmas time down at the lake on a Sunday. It is becoming an opportunity for us to watch our children grow up together. But, as our children are growing up, fewer of them are able to attend the gathering because more of them are working on Sundays. And, yes, I expect them to be compensated for that because we miss them; we want them to celebrate with us and spend time with their family. But they are out there working for more than just the money. They are building relationships, learning about teamwork, setting themselves up for a future as young adults in our community.
I see our role in this place—I have said this before—as providing a chance for us as leaders to make a difference for people and to make it easier for people to follow us. I find it really sad that a sector that I worked in for such a long period of time—it was already tough back then—is even tougher today because of the decisions that people are making in parliament.
The ACT government will not be forsaking the people in our community. We will not be ignoring our roles as leaders to bring the voices of some of the lowest paid young women and men in our community—our friends, their kids, people who live in our community, our neighbours—to debates that affect people in our community, whether those debates are in this place or in the commonwealth parliament.
Discussion concluded.
Answers to questions without notice
Planning—west Greenway
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (4.30): I raise a point of order under standing order 118A. During question time I asked the Minister for Planning and Land Management about a report from the community advisory panel in regard to the west Greenway development. At the conclusion of question time, the minister advised that the report was available on the your say website.
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