Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

The government supports both of the amendments on sheets 8197 and 8198, and I will address them both. These amendments clarify what kinds of payments will be considered to be legitimate payments for the purposes of the offence. The insertion of the term 'directly' in relation to benefits to employees clarifies that employees must see an immediate and explicit benefit. The insertion of the term 'reasonable' in relation to membership fees clarifies that a payment ostensibly for membership fees cannot be exorbitant and used as a means of achieving the malintent outlawed by this bill. The government supports the amendments on the basis that they provide further clarity as to what qualifies as a legitimate payment under the bill.