Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the people of Kingsford Smith, I wish to thank and pay tribute to all of our communities' essential workers that have continued to go to work during this difficult period and are getting our nation through. Australia's success in reducing the rate of COVID-19 infection has been built by Australians being responsible, cooperating and staying at home.

But for many Australians, staying at home and staying safe is not an option. They need to go to work to continue to keep our country running. In doing so, they are risking their own health and safety, and for that they deserve our praise and respect. So I thank all of our aged-care workers, early childhood educators, teachers, emergency services workers, transport workers, cleaners, construction workers, hairdressers, security workers and many others—in particular, those who are working on the frontline of our healthcare system: our doctors, nurses, medical researchers, allied health professionals and administrators. You deserve particular praise.

I also want to pay tribute to and thank all of our Centrelink workers who have helped Australians during this difficult period, many of them negotiating Centrelink for the first time in their lives. Your professionalism and care are deserving of praise. Many of these workers who have got us through this difficult period are highly skilled but are relatively low paid and on award wages. I hope now that as a nation we see the value of the work in these industries and that in the future we pay these workers what they are truly worth in our society. Thank you to all of our essential workers.