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Hello and welcome to the Last Weekend here at Sydney Olympic Park.

Here at the site of countless triumphs, it’s another triumph that so many working families have come here today to stand-up for the Australian way of life – a way of life that cares for our children and gives them a good start in life and in work.

I’m the Commissioner for Children and Young People. My job is to look out for the welfare and wellbeing of kids in NSW.

And that’s why I’m sharing this great event here with you today – because the Federal Government’s proposals will change the Australian way of life and this will be BAD NEWS for kids.

Kids & Families

As Commissioner, I talk with children from all sorts of backgrounds from all across the State.

What they say to me time and time again, is that the most important people in their lives are their mums and dads.

They love their games, and their toys, their teachers and their playmates.

But it’s their parents who they turn to first for love. It’s their parents who tuck them in at night. And it’s time spent with their parents that children cherish most.

And it’s this family time that’s at risk with these proposed changes.

The children of NSW State don’t want parents who are sick with worry about the future of their jobs.

They want parents who can have a full weekend or a reliable knock-off time, without fear of having their jobs taken out from under them.

Kids want parents who work under decent conditions, so that in turn, their parents can spend the family time that children all need to grow up loved and feeling valued by the community they live in.

And that’s what‘s under threat in Australia today – an Australian way of life that gives decent conditions to parents who work, and a decent family life for children.

Kids & Work

The proposed IR changes are also BAD NEWS for kids who work.

Kids are a major workforce in this country.

In NSW alone, more than 200,000 kids aged 12-18 work in formal jobs – fulltime or part-time.

The federal changes will pit these 12-18 year olds against seasoned adult employers to negotiate their working conditions.

Because kids are learners in workplace relations, bought up to trust and do what adults say then they will not be able to protect themselves in these negotiations.

The federal government changes make them easy prey for those employers who want to put the squeeze on pay and conditions, with the threat of the sack hanging over each young worker’s head.

A quarter of young workers in a recent survey had never gotten a pay slip: if they are unable to negotiate to get a pay slip how on earth are they going to negotiate an entire agreement.

Many adult workers feel intimidated and out-of-their-depth in negotiating agreements – imagine how will a child of 14 will feel and fare

For the working children of NSW and Australia-wide, the proposed IR changes are BAD NEWS.

Kids & Childcare

Another group who already get too little for the job they do is childcare workers.

Research shows that good childcare benefits children now and into the future.

Good childcare workers are already finding it tough to stay in the jobs they love, because their pay compares badly with other professions.

Any moves that further erode childcare workers’ pay and undermine their working conditions will threaten the quality of the care our children receive.

The proposed IR changes are BAD NEWS for kids, because they’ll erode already low wages and conditions of childcare workers, and rob our childcare system of so many loving and expert carers. Is that the future we want for our kids?

The way forward

Finally, let me congratulate again the working families of Sydney and beyond for making your voices heard by coming here today.

It’s good news – it’s GREAT NEWS – that so many of us understand the threat to working families and children that’s around the corner if the proposed IR changes go ahead.

Our job from here on is to spread the word.

And my message is simple – the Federal Government’s IR changes are BAD NEWS for kids.

So protect the Australian way of life, protect our kids' future and oppose these changes.

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