Portable Long Service Leave

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Industrial Relations on portable long service leave.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The Labor Party has come to this term of government with an election promise to investigate portable long service leave. I note that since the 1980s, in partnerships with unions and employers across the industry, Labor was part of creating the Construction Industry Long Service Leave Act 1987 for that industry to have portable long service leave. My question to the minister is: what is the time frame for consultation on portable long service leave and which industries is it the intention of this government to be able to access portable long service leave?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for her question and her interest in workers' rights generally and the industrial relations area. The honourable member correctly reflects the government's commitment to consult with workers, unions and businesses to expand the portable long service leave system in South Australia.

As the honourable member has pointed out, there is another scheme that has been operating for some time in South Australia, that is, the construction industry portable long service leave scheme. Other states and territories have established portable long service leave for other industries, including cleaning, community services and security industries. We know that more workers are working casually and are regularly moving between employers, which means that many workers may never reach the requirement of 10 years of service or a pro rata seven years of service with an individual employer to enable them to take the proper break that long service leave envisages.

This is an area in which we have really started doing internal work, and over the coming months we will consult both with those who represent employees and employers. Certainly, where we are looking first is where other states have looked at. As I've said, they have started in things like the community services type areas and other states have moved in cleaning and security areas.