Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before asking that this motion be taken as formal, I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Ciccone will also sponsor the motion. At the request of Senators Farrell, Sheldon, O'Neill and Ciccone, I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day in June 2020:

The causes, extent and effects of unlawful non-payment or underpayment of employees' remuneration by employers and measures that can be taken to address the issue, with particular reference to:

(a) the forms of and reasons for wage theft and whether it is regarded by some businesses as 'a cost of doing business';

(b) the cost of wage and superannuation theft to the national economy;

(c) the best means of identifying and uncovering wage and superannuation theft, including ensuring that those exposing wage/superannuation theft are adequately protected from adverse treatment;

(d) the taxation treatment of people whose stolen wages are later repaid to them;

(e) whether extension of liability and supply chain measures should be introduced to drive improved compliance with wage and superannuation-related laws;

(f) the most effective means of recovering unpaid entitlements and deterring wage and superannuation theft, including changes to the existing legal framework that would assist with recovery and deterrence;

(g) whether Federal Government procurement practices can be modified to ensure that public contracts are only awarded to those businesses that do not engage in wage and superannuation theft; and

(h) any related matters.

Question agreed to.