Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Hansard source

I move amendment (45) on sheet 7807:

(45) Schedule 1, item 6, page 14 (after line 13), at the end of Subdivision D, add:

245AZ Reports on operation of this Subdivision

(1) The Minister must, as soon as practicable after 30 June in each year, cause to be laid before each House of the Parliament a report on the operation of this Subdivision, and any other provision of this Act to the extent that it relates to this Subdivision, during the year ending on 30 June.

(2) The report must contain the name of each body corporate:

  (a) convicted of an offence against this Subdivision during the year ending 30 June; or

  (b) against which a civil penalty order was made during the year ending 30 June for contravening a civil penalty provision in this Subdivision.

As this bill is currently drafted, there is not a reporting obligation on the minister. This amendment will enhance the transparency of the system and the accountability within it by requiring the minister to table an annual report on the operations and the impact of the provisions that are being introduced by this particular instrument. That report would include the names of companies found to have been in breach of the provisions, which would be a further deterrent for sponsors who do not give workers their full entitlements. This is a straightforward transparency measure, and I commend the amendment to the chamber.