Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, we agree to that. I move:

That all words after "House" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not supporting a Senate inquiry into the bill and not declining to give the bill a second reading:

(1) notes that in 2001 a far North Queensland sugar mill was sold by a bank and receivers at allegedly an undervalued asset price, leaving millions owing in original farmer shareholders;

(2) notes that despite continuous calls for an ASIC investigation, the only accountability came through civil proceedings successfully brought on by affected farmers;

(3) notes that in 2012 a mine in far North Queensland collapsed placing 450 people out of work and leaving millions owing in wages and entitlements to contractors, subcontractors and suppliers;

(4) notes that in July 2023 another mine in far North Queensland collapsed placing 250 people out of work and leaving millions owing in wages and entitlements to contractors, subcontractors and suppliers;

(5) notes that both mining companies had the same Director prior to collapse and complaints made to the ATO about unpaid super for the second company date back to September 2021, nearly two years before the collapse;

(6) notes that in March 2023 a transport/wholesale fruit company collapsed leaving millions owing to transport and farming entities across Australia;

(7) notes that the Director of this company, who resigned days before the collapse, has approximately 285 office holdings in various other companies and is the subject of a number of ASIC complaints;

(8) notes that workers and contractors, subcontractors and suppliers cannot be adequately protected by regulation alone and we must have improved oversight and enforcement;

(9) notes that ASIC and the ATO either are ill-equipped or otherwise unwilling or unable to fulfill the role of a tough and accountable enforcer of companies and their officeholders; and

(10) calls on the government to:

(a) remove corporate oversight from the ATO and ASIC;

(b) place corporate oversight with the Fair Work Commission or a similar "oversight and enforcement" body; and

(c) provide this "oversight and enforcement" body with the resources, accountability and powers to adequately protect employees and contractors, sub contractors and suppliers from corporate wrong doings."

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