Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I can apprise Senator Abetz that since 10 o'clock last night there has been no change in the advice government has from Fair Work Australia with respect to their internal processes that I described during the committee stage last night, looking at the detail of the cost involved to change the name. So I cannot advise him further on any defined figure; only the information I gave him last night about the process under which Fair Work Australia is determining such matter. As Senator Abetz full knows, Fair Work Australia are an independent statutory body. They will go through their process and, at such time as we have advice for the Senator, we will inform him.

I will clarify also a component of the advice I gave last night: the absorption of the cost for the name change was the information I gave; it did not pertain to the issues around the appointment.

Senator Abetz is also asking with respect to what areas of current activities might be curtailed. Again, that is a matter for Fair Work Australia. I will seek to ascertain whether there is further advice on that matter.

I am also in the hands of the Senate as to whether, at this point in time, we want to move to the matters that Senator Cormann raised last night or whether Senator Abetz would like to remain on the areas that, prior to that, he was canvassing yesterday.