Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (14:29): (23) My constituency question is directed to the Minister for Employment. Minister, how many workers across Whitehorse, Maroondah and Manningham LGAs have accessed the Andrews government’s sick pay guarantee program since it was created? The premise of the sick pay guarantee is simple: nobody in a modern, fair Victoria should have to choose between going to work sick and putting food on the table. That includes our casual workers, many of whom are already vulnerable, often younger, from migrant backgrounds or with English as a second language. The Andrews Labor government is proud to support these workers not just with our words but also our actions. Our sick pay guarantee provides casual workers across select industries with 38 hours per year of sick and carers pay paid at the minimum wage. This includes some of our most essential workers in aged and disability care, cleaning, security and hospitality. To apply, I encourage eligible casual workers across the Ringwood electorate to head to the Service Victoria app or service.vic.gov.au. This is a landmark, nation-leading reform proudly delivered by a progressive Andrews Labor government.