Parmar Parmjeet: Employment Standards Legislation Bill — Second ReadingText is subject to correctionParmar Parmjeet: Employment Standards Legislation Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 03 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9405. Text is subject to correction.]Dr PARMJEET PARMAR (National): I am very pleased to stand and take this call to support the Employment Standards Legislation Bill on its second reading. As a member on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee I want to acknowledge and thank all submitters for their contributions which are highly valued. I also want to acknowledge the select committee chair Jonathan Young and also the Minister the Hon Michael Woodhouse for the work that he has done on this bill.This bill is a very timely bill as it addresses various issues arising due to diversification of employee and employer relationships changing work environments and changing family needs. As we have already heard this bill attracted a huge number of submissions. A big chunk of those submissions were actually form submissions. If I just exclude form submissions unique submissions were still quite high. We received 1920—or close to that—unique submissions on this bill. This bill has been closely examined and as a result the select committee has made some very practical recommendations.This bill is necessary because there are things that cannot be left to good-faith relationships between employees and employers. But both groups—employees and employers—want growth; they want to see legislation that supports growth. This bill is about supporting growth while promoting flexibility and fairness at workplaces again for both groups—employers and employees.From my own experience being an employee and an employer in the past I understand the importance of retaining flexibility and I also understand the importance of having the ability to have mutual agreements. Yes I want to acknowledge that I understand that there are some unfair elements in so-called zero-hour contracts and that is why we need this bill. This bill is to address those unfair components in so-called zero-hour contracts. But this bill is not just about zero-hour contracts; this bill is also about making paid parental leave more flexible and practical and it is also about supporting the enforcement of minimum entitlements.I believe in fairer workplaces and a flexible labour market that support productivity and are also about providing enhanced protection to employers and employees. It is not about focusing on just one group employers or employers; we need both groups. Employers need employees to run their businesses and employees need employers because they create employment. It is about retaining flexibility but also providing certainty to both groups employers and employees.This bill is also about supporting the enforcement of minimum entitlements for which employers will be required to keep a record of various things related to employment so that they can demonstrate compliance to minimum entitlement provisions. Also the recording of various things related to employment like wages leave holidays etc. will be made consistent in other employment legislation so that it is easy to establish compliance.This part of the bill is mainly for businesses that are not compliant. We want to see that those businesses comply and if they do not comply there will be financial penalties and the seriousness of the breach will be reflected in those penalties. I can fully understand that feeling of power imbalance between employers and employees that has come through quite a lot. That is why this bill is also about having two-way communication between employers and employees. Things that are agreed to will be in the agreement like the number of hours—if they are agreed they should be in the agreement. Also an availability provision should be in the agreement.I quickly want to touch on paid parental leave because this bill is also about paid parental leave. It is making it more flexible and practical. The bill is also about extending the parental leave entitlement to a wider group than biological parents and formal adoptive parents. The other great thing about this bill is the keeping-in-touch hours for employees on paid parental leave. Overall it is a great bill. I support this bill and commend it to the House. Thank you.