Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Sheena WATT (Northern Metropolitan) (21:31): (2404) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC. Last Monday our state celebrated Labour Day, a day that serves as a reminder of why the labour movement and the achievement of workers is integral to our state. My electorate holds a particularly rich and proud history in the trade union movement. It was in Parkville in 1856 that stonemasons working at the University of Melbourne walked off the job, marching to the city to demand and successfully win the 8-hour day. This historic win for workers rights is commemorated with the 8-hour day monument right across the road from the mighty Victorian Trades Hall in Carlton, the oldest trade union building in the world. However, the movement for workers rights is not just about hours and wages; it is fundamentally about safety and the right to come home at the end of the shift. Every worker deserves to return home to their loved ones, yet we know that far too many families are left with an empty chair at the dining room table. That is why our government announced that it is establishing a permanent memorial for workers who have lost their lives on the job. This memorial will be a dedicated space for families, friends and colleagues to reflect, mourn and honour those who did not come home. It is an important step in ensuring that their lives are never forgotten. The Victorian Trades Hall Council has been a longstanding advocate for this, and I am so proud that our government is delivering on this project. Just a personal note to say the truck drivers memorial up in Alexandra is a site that is especially important to me, as it is a memorial to a very much loved family member. To know that there is going to be a memorial closer to home is something that I am very much looking forward to. The action that I seek is for the minister to join me in visiting this profound memorial once it is completed.