Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens support the motion. Paid pandemic leave should be for all workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the profound precariousness and inequality that exists in workplaces. No-one—not a single person—should be forced to choose between protecting their health and the health of those around them and being plunged into economic hardship, yet this is the exact situation many workers find themselves in. The government needs to support workers and guarantee and fund a safety net so all workers have access to at least 14 days of paid pandemic leave. This needs to happen right now. We can't wait for a state of disaster to be declared. We need to act to prevent disasters. The Greens have a bill before the Senate to do that just that, and we urge the Senate to pass the bill for the sake of workers, for the sake of communities and for the sake of public health.

Question agreed to.