Omer IbrahimIBRAHIM OMER (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this yet another important bill that might look unnecessary to the Opposition but it's very important for thousands of workers who many of them are front-line workers. Before I kick off my speech I'd like to start with sharing a story a story of a working woman a cleaner and a mother Malia Motusaga. Malia lately said commenting on the increase of this 10-day sick leave I was grateful to hear that the Government will increase the minimum sick leave from five days to 10 days. This is very important to me and to my family as well as to other workers. This is the reality of living on the minimum wage and working two jobs: sometimes you need to make sacrifices. If my children are sick—and usually someone gets sick from my family—I would have to take time off of work unpaid. The extra five days will benefit me and my kids. Now I know that if I get sick I can stay home and if any of my kids or my husband gets sick I can stay home to look after them. I feel really good about that." That statement speaks volumes about the importance of increasing sick leave from five days to 10 days.Now last year in 2020 when the pandemic hit we all of us went into lockdown. I remember there was an outpouring of support and love and solidarity towards front-line workers. Every 7 p.m. we would go out in our driveway and we would clap. We would clap in a spectacular show of solidarity towards these hard-working people who played an important role in getting us through the lockdown times. That was a beautiful display of solidarity but that was not going to pay their bills. It was not going to put three meals on their table. But increasing sick leave allowing them to stay home when they are sick is going to make a difference in their lives. I am very proud of the record of this Government supporting working people. This Government pumped up the minimum wage to $20 and started implementing the living wage in core Government sectors. Now increasing sick leave is also another milestone that's going to support this vulnerable workforce.Now some of the submitters we must admit expressed some concerns around this bill and we acknowledge that. Some of their concern is that this increase in sick leave will hurt small and medium sized businesses or that some of the employees will take advantage of this goodwill. Those assumptions are just unfounded and misplaced. I was a cleaner. I have worked with hundreds of cleaners and as a union organiser I looked after cleaners security guards—I have never seen anyone taking advantage of sick leave that's available to them. Ethical employers already are doing this and we haven't seen any business running out of business because of increasing sick leave from five days to 10 days. In fact they are doing a good job. Their productivity has increased and they are grateful and their employees are grateful and they are working harder than ever because they feel valued.This is just a part of the scaremongering that we heard about when the minimum wage increased: unemployment is going to increase. In fact the finance Minister today said that unemployment has decreased to 4.7 percent despite the minimum wage going up to $20. This is another sign that things are not always the way that the Opposition seem to make them out.Lastly as we live and we continue to fight the pandemic we must value and respect our hard-working front-line workers because that is part of our health response as well. A happy and valued workforce is always going to get us through the tough times. At least people like Malia deserve this. With that I commend this bill to the House. Thank you."