Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Workers across the country are dealing with a number of issues—from little to no wage growth and insecure and casualised work to the loss of penalty rates, just to name a few. But an issue not being given enough attention is the falling level of respect given to workers across our country. Many of us were horrified to learn of the sentence given to the low-lifes who attacked Victorian paramedic Paul Judd. Sadly, in the electorate I represent, there have been similar instances of workers being mistreated whilst they go about their jobs—bus drivers being stabbed and spat on, police officers assaulted and abused by juvenile offenders, security guards bashed and nurses and ambos assaulted or threatened with violence—just because they are doing their job and caring for their patients.

All workers have the right to feel safe at work and have the right to go home to their families unharmed. I note the efforts of various unions and professional associations across the country who are saying, 'Enough.' Nobody deserves a serve for doing their job, and our first responders—whose job is hard enough—need the assurance of being protected so that they, in turn, can protect and serve us all in the community. We must ensure that those who serve us are protected and respected.