Author: annerleylabor

Closing Loopholes Bill passes Parliament

annerleylabor

There is good news for Australian workers with Federal Parliament voting to close the labour hire loophole, make wage theft a crime and make workplaces safer.

The Parliament voted to:

– Stop companies underpaying workers through the use of labour hire
– Criminalise intentional wage theft,
– Introduce a new criminal offence of industrial manslaughter,
– Better support first responders with PTSD,
– Better protect workers subjected to family and domestic violence from discrimination at work,
– Expand the functions of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency to include silica,
– and close the loophole in which large businesses claim small business exemptions during insolvency to avoid redundancy payments.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to proceeding with every remaining clause of the Bill – including minimum standards for digital platform gig workers, road transport industry reforms and a better deal for casual workers who want to become permanent – as a priority early next year. 

Peter Dutton and the LNP voted against this legislation every step of the way as they still want to keep wages low and hold workers back.

Under the Albanese Labor Government unemployment is at historic lows, wages are moving again after a decade of stagnation, industrial action has fallen, and the gender pay gap is at the lowest level on record.

Labor believes that the new legislation is the next step in giving workers a better deal.

Resolution of support for the people of Palestine

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The following resolution was adopted unanimously by Annerley Labor on 7 November 2023:

This Branch recognises that:

• Palestinians have been seeking self-determination, a right that was promised by the UN in 1948 but has yet to be fulfilled;

• The people of Gaza have been living under a brutal siege by Israel and Egypt for over 17 years;

• On 7 October 2023, Palestinian armed groups killed at least 1,400 people in Israel;

• In the first three weeks of unleashing its deadly attack on the innocent people of Gaza, Israel has killed over 8,306 people including 3,457 children, 2,136 women, 35 journalists, and 25 doctors and medical workers, with the numbers increasing by the day;

• Aid into Gaza has been heavily restricted by the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza;

• The lives of Palestinians matter;

• Attacks on Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, places of worship, schools and residential neighbourhoods, is a war crime and are in clear violation of international law and all rules of war;

• The international community must come together to support an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of the violence;

• Islamophobia and antisemitism must be condemned and combated. Federal and State Governments, as well as the media, must ensure they use balanced language and avoid inflaming community tensions.

This Branch:

• Unequivocally condemns all acts of violence perpetrated against innocent civilians;

• Unequivocally condemns Israel for its indiscriminate bombing, displacement and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza in an act of collective punishment;

• Notes that the uncritical support of the right of Israel to defend itself has now been used to licence the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank;

• Expresses disappointment with the decision of the Australian Government to abstain in the vote on the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in contrast with the decision of the New Zealand Government to support the resolution.

This Branch calls on the Federal Government to:

• Call for an immediate ceasefire;

• Utilise all avenues of diplomacy to stop the bombing and ground invasion by Israel into Gaza;

• Acknowledge the response from Israel has now moved from that of defending itself, to acts of retribution on an innocent Palestinian population which are excessive and in breach of international law;

• Acknowledge that the United Nations has declared Israel’s siege of Gaza as collective punishment, prohibited under international law;

• Provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and to support the creation of humanitarian corridors to allow aid into Palestine unimpeded;

• Publicly support the Australian Palestinian community in the same fashion support has been shown for those with family and friends affected in Israel;

• Recognise the state of Palestine now and support a peaceful, viable and fair two-state solution.

The resolution has been conveyed to the Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Penny Wong.