Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

ONE (—) (): I know many Australians have been looking around for a bargain as Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales continue this week, but this evening I want to shine a light on the behaviour of the company that's been responsible for spreading Black Friday sales around the world, and that's Amazon. We've all heard horrible stories about Amazon workers unable to take bathroom breaks and literally running between shelves in order to meet the company's ridiculous performance targets. It's clear Amazon has a long way to go in recognising workers' rights in Australia.

The SDA union, where I've been a proud member and an industrial officer prior to coming to parliament, brought a case before the Federal Court on behalf of Amazon workers when an employee's job offer was withdrawn after she told the company that she was pregnant. They reached a financial settlement earlier this year.

On Black Friday last year, Amazon called the police to try and have TWU officials, who were investigating safety concerns, removed from their warehouse in Western Sydney. Again, another clear example that Amazon has a long way to go in recognising workers' rights in this country.

The Amazon Global Union Alliance is calling out Amazon for its terrible conduct. It's squeezing every last drop from the workers who are responsible for the company's success. This behaviour is even more reprehensible at a time when working people right around the world are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

I could not attend due to the Senate sitting last week, but I was proud to see the SDA union and the TWU rallying outside the Amazon warehouse in my home state of Victoria, in Dandenong. They had a very clear message: these workers are undervalued and their practices are unsafe and un-Australian. I don't begrudge anyone trying to score a bargain as the sales continue, but I do urge all Australians to consider the workers that are behind the sales, behind the websites, to purchase from much more responsible businesses if you are able to do so.

I also want to draw the chamber's attention tonight to a very large contribution to the Victorian economy, and that is the racing industry, particularly in many regional communities. The Size and Scope of the Victorian Racing Industry Report, released early this year, found that the industry contributes nearly $4.7 billion of value to the Victorian economy and over half this value is added in regional areas.

We all know the enormous recreational and tourism benefits of the racing industry, but it is also an integral part of many local economies throughout Victoria. Much of this economic benefit is generated primarily through race days. While racing has been impacted by COVID-19, like almost every other industry, prior to the pandemic more than 1.8 million people attended a race day in a year, with over half a million of these people attending a regional race day. This significant contribution to regional tourism cannot be overstated. I'm glad the minister for tourism is in the chamber this evening.

In addition to race days, the industry generates ongoing employment for thousands of Victorians, and this independent report shows that more than 147,000 jobs are supported by the Victorian racing industry and over half of the full-time jobs are in regional Victoria. In this place we often hear about how difficult it is to find secure, full-time work in regional Australia, so the racing industry is a very important provider of employment in these areas. More than 8,500 volunteers also participate in racing, and I think this demonstrates a significant contribution to our community and community support for these very, very important race days and this important industry.

I love hearing races and heading to races whenever I can go along, with almost two million other folks in Victoria. It is always a great day out watching the years of hard work by the stable hands, the trainers, the breeders, the jockeys and others coming together to celebrate what they love on the track. I do look forward to seeing the industry grow and support the Victorian economy for many years to come.

Senate adjourned at 22:09