Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I sought leave to move an amendment to amendment (41) on sheet 8144. I moved the amendment:

That amendment (41) on sheet 8144 be amended by omitting 'the failure to comply was due to exceptional circumstances beyond the employer's control' from proposed clause 557C(2) on page 12 and substituting 'the employer provides a reasonable excuse as to why there has been no compliance with subsection 557C(1)(b)'.

That was the amendment that was moved, and I think we've had a fair bit of discussion on that. Again, I want to say that we've listened to the concerns of small business and Senator Xenophon on this. We have changed the wording of the amendment. We are open to sensible and reasonable concerns, and we want to make sure that employers who are doing the right thing aren't caught up in this.