Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I speak on this excellent motion by the member for Wannon to support all the young people in Macarthur—and the rest of Australia, for that matter—who have taken the initiative to gain casual employment during their time at school. I would first like to commend the Federal Court of Australia for its ruling to uphold Fair Work Australia's decision to allow juniors covered by the retail award to be able to work a minimum of 1.5 hours after school between the hours of 3 pm and 6.30 pm. This decision allows students to work after school to gain independence, a strong work ethic, life skills and experience in a workplace while they are still studying. It is obvious that on the other side of the chamber that is not supported.

I know there are many students in the Macarthur region who need to work short, 1.5-hour, shifts to fit in with their schooling and with shop-trading hours and can do this thanks to the decision by Fair Work Australia in June 2011. I thank the member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, for moving this motion, and the shadow minister for employment and workplace relations, Eric Abetz, for his support of this important issue. Let us hope the other side are looking at this motion. It does not sound like it. I know they both lobbied together with the National Retail Association in 2010 and 2011 to scrap the minimum engagement hours for shifts for juniors and to ensure that the FWA ruling was not overturned recently. On behalf of the young people in my electorate who will continue to benefit from their dedication to this cause, I would like to thank them both. It makes me proud to be part of a coalition that appreciates and supports our young aspiring students in contrast to union bosses. It is a shame that a Labor government chose not to support our students through the deliberations of the Federal Court or Fair Work Australia.

In Macarthur we have a large number of retail shops and outlets that employ young people on a casual basis. Macarthur Square, Campbelltown Mall, Narellan Town Centre, Mount Annan Central and Mount Annan Marketplace join with many other retail stores and small businesses across the region to employ Macarthur's energetic young people, giving them a great start in life. My two daughters grew up in Macarthur and attended local schools. During their time at university they both worked casual hours in a local chemist, making their own money and gaining valuable life experiences. Alana worked at Brownhills Pharmacy in Campbelltown and Jessica worked at David Wilson Discount Chemist also in Campbelltown. As a parent I saw firsthand how a casual position gave both my daughters a greater level of self-confidence, maturity and professionalism that has stayed with them throughout their lives. It also gave them another avenue aside from mum and dad to pay for their shoes, clothes and handbags! More importantly, they learned about the value of money and the importance of saving it. Today they are both very successful, hardworking young women of whom I am very proud.

In Macarthur there are many high school students who choose to complement what they learn from their teachers at school with real-life experiences in the workforce. Some of them are lucky enough to live in towns where a big department store is open for a few hours after school, but there are many towns in my electorate that consist mostly of small businesses that close at 5.30 pm. There is a lack of public transport that would get these students out to the cities and suburbs with major shopping centres. We have so many fantastic small business owners in Macarthur's small towns who employ junior staff members because they understand how valuable a young, energetic quick thinker is to their business. Having a casual job whilst at school also teaches our young people to develop good time-management skills and strive for that perfect work-life balance that we all dream of. Today's world is moving at a rapid pace, so to master the art of time management at such a young age gives our youth a fantastic start to their working lives.

All too often we hear of our younger generations being labelled as lazy, hard to please and selfish. I disagree. This motion supports them getting into the workforce. I have met so many talented and enthusiastic young people in Macarthur who would be a great asset to any business they have worked for. That is why the push by the coalition and the subsequent decision by Fair Work Australia to allow students to work a minimum 1.5-hour shift after school was a good one. If you ask me, it is common sense, especially when the majority of schools finish at 3.30 pm and many retail stores in small towns and regional areas close at 5.30 pm on weekdays.

These changes to the retail award gave student's across Macarthur a valuable opportunity to gain work and life experiences as well as a chance to develop an impressive resume for future employers and learn about the importance of working hard and saving money, especially in the current economic climate. I think it is very inspiring that two teenagers kicked off these changes back in 2010 with a simple petition. When Matthew Spencer and Leticia Harrison lost their 1.5-hour shifts after school, they decided to fight this ridiculous rule that stopped juniors working short shifts after school. I applaud them for persistence and determination, as I do the coalition and the member for Wannon for supporting these young people every step of the way. Thanks to them, there are so many young people in Macarthur gaining valuable experience in our local businesses. For this I thank all those who are involved in making these changes to the retail award and ensuring these changes remain in place throughout the Federal Court's recent decision. I commend the member for Wannon on his motion today.

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