Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

It now comes to me to sum up this debate and thank members across the parliament for their contributions. The purpose of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Amendment (Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission) Bill 2024 is to establish the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. It will implement recommendation 22 of the Australian Human Rights Commission's Set the standard report.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission would function as an accountability mechanism to ensure safe and respectful parliamentary workplaces. We have in this place a shared responsibility to meet that objective. That has been widely acknowledged by members in their contributions today. A range of actions have already been taken to ensure we have a professional and respectful working environment. This bill will build on those actions already taken by this House and by the Senate. Importantly, it will mean that, shortly after the IPSC's commencement, the behaviour codes can finally be adopted.

The government thanks members of the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce for their assistance in developing this bill. This bill will have application across the parliament and affects us all. We also thank members of the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce's staff consultation group for their time and constructive feedback on the draft bill. That input was very welcome, and I want to again thank every staff member in this building, both current and former, who helped get us to this place.

I want to highlight a few of the many contributions from today. The member for Moreton highlighted that, while we're talking about cultural change, sometimes it's the physical change that also reminds us what a journey this place has been on. He reminded us that it was this parliament that turned a pub into a childcare centre—a sign of this building reflecting modern Australia. The member for Indi talked intelligently about the fact that robust debate is a core function and job of the parliament but that that needs to be balanced with our role as role models—and that doesn't mean we can't also engage in respectful debate. The member for Chisholm spoke about her contribution to the Set the standard report from her experience as a staff member in this building a decade ago. She spoke very openly about people who've had their careers cut short in parliament, while others have thrived, and that this is about changing that culture. The member for North Sydney highlighted that everyday Australians disagree that this building exists outside of community expectations; indeed, we sit within those expectations and we should seek to raise those expectations.

The member for Newcastle and Deputy Speaker spoke about the work to land the behaviour codes and how much care was put into them. I want to thank the member for Newcastle and Deputy Speaker for her work. She also reflected that a decade ago you wouldn't have been able to get legislation like this through the House. That's a positive reflection on all of us. I also want to thank her for her work on the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce, something to which she—like many others—has given countless hours, which has allowed us to be in the position we are in today.

I want to note the contribution from the Assistant Minister for Women, who acknowledged that this is a unique workplace but that the mechanisms for transparency and the interaction with the privileges committees of the parliament are so important that we need to make sure that we don't use the fact that we are a unique workplace to not meet the standards of modern workplaces. There is one other thing she noted that I want to echo. She acknowledged all the staff who contributed their experiences, and she said very simply, 'For too long, this parliament hasn't met the standards the Australian people expect of us' and that we have set standards for other workplaces while not meeting those standards ourselves. Again, in passing this bill we will seek to walk in a different direction.

The member for Warringah noted the importance of the skill of the commissioners, and I want to echo that. She also said that it's important this be a service available to those that need it and that there is an appropriate way to deal with vexatious complaints, and I echo that. The member for Goldstein talked about the importance of leading here, in parliament, and how it lifts the standards for other Australian workplaces. And I really want to welcome the member for Curtin's commitment to seeing the passage of this bill and also her commitment to making sure that, when people look at this place, they more often than not do see the role models they expect to see.

Finally, I want to thank the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher, and her team. This bill is, hopefully, the final piece of the legislative actions we need to take for the full establishment of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Services and associated functions. Her leadership has got us to this point. She has negotiated and consulted very broadly across the parliament, recognising how important it is that we all go on this journey together. Again, I want to commend her and her team for that.

In saying all of that, I really do commend this bill to the parliament. It is a credit to all of us that we have got to this point. I am aware there are some foreshadowed amendments, and we will deal with those in the normal way. I want to thank all members for their constructive engagement, including members of the opposition.

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