Workplace safety
Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:55): Prior to coming into this place I had the privilege of spending well over a decade representing frontline retail and fast-food workers in their places of work and with their workplace grievances and needs. I had the pleasure of supporting them through times of difficulty as well as good times. I also far too often saw so many cases of retail workers being abused or assaulted in their place of work by customers. The abuse or assault of anyone else, but especially a service worker, is completely and utterly unacceptable. It is one of the reasons why in my inaugural speech in this place I talked about increasing the penalties for assaulting frontline workers, such as retail workers, as one of my priorities and the reason why I am so excited that our Premier Jacinta Allan just a few weeks ago announced that this Labor government will do just that. This Labor government will implement tougher penalties for assaulting retail workers, hospitality workers, bus drivers or anyone on the front line who is dealing with the public day to day. Far too often these people are vulnerable. In the case of retail and fast food it is often their first job. This is a significant reform that has been announced by the Premier that will make a real difference for working Victorians, and I am absolutely proud to be part of a government that will be delivering these reforms.