SpeechIBRAHIM OMER (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. I'd like to begin my response by thanking all the colleagues who spoke on this bill. I appreciate the kind words that have been said about me but this is all about the people who have been affected by wage theft. I'd like to thank the Green Party for their support.Wage theft is widespread and it's happening everywhere. There are hundreds of stories out there in the media. You don't need to even go too far to see how bad and how deep wage theft is in our country. As many colleagues indicated there are so many stories but unfortunately tonight what we hear from the Opposition MPs is that—these people are being told that your stories your pain what happened to you doesn't matter. The reality is that this bill is simply set to make wage theft a crime. Stealing from an employee deliberately is a crime. It doesn't make sense that when employees steal from an employer they can get a penalty—imprisonment of up to six years. If it's the other way around it's a civil matter; the employer can get a slap on the wrist and they can get away with it. This is all about righting the wrong. It's about correcting the inconsistency in our justice and crimes Acts. Now we all know that the Hon Scott Simpson said that yes the vast majority of employers are good and they treat their employees with dignity and respect but we also can't deny that there are businesses for whom their whole business model is all about stealing from people from vulnerable people who can't speak up for themselves. Yes it happened to me but it's happening as we speak now and it's every day it's deep it's widespread it's ugly it's a blood sport in our country and that's not OK.We have heard countless stories from throughout the country when the bill was introduced in this House and I have received emails messages phone calls people sharing their stories and I have spoken about this in the first reading. Now tonight Opposition MPs are telling these people Your voice your pain doesn't matter." What a shame; so much for being tough on crime because wage theft is a crime. Stealing from anyone—whether employees stealing from employer or the other way around—it is a crime and it should be treated as such.This bill has been referred to the Education and Workforce Committee of which I am a member and also deputy chair and I'm really really looking forward to engaging with submitters and people with the real stories. There is nothing more powerful than people's stories people who have been affected by this bill. I'm really looking forward to hearing from them. Not only from them; I'm also looking forward to hearing from businesses from good businesses good employers who actually—I have spoken to quite a few employers who don't like what's happening they don't agree with what's happening; they want something to be done about wage theft and exploitation and I'm really looking forward to engaging with them because this has been going on for a long time and we cannot tell people that your story your pain doesn't matter. Enough is enough. Again I'd like to thank all the members who have spoken tonight in support of this bill and I still ask the Opposition to reconsider this because it's not OK. When the poor steal from the rich it's a crime; when the rich steal from the poor it's a civil matter. It's unfair; it needs to change. Thank you."