Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate notes the Safe and Respectful Workplaces Training Program (the Training Program) administered by the Department of Finance and resolves that the following procedures apply for senators to declare that they have undertaken the Training Program:

(1) Each senator who has undertaken the Training Program shall provide to the Registrar of Senators' Interests a statement declaring that they have undertaken the Training Program:

(a) within 28 days of this resolution, where the statement relates to the Senator having undertaken the Training Program prior to the date of this resolution; and

(b) within 28 days of having undertaken the Training Program.

(2) Statements shall be made in accordance with this resolution and in a form determined by the Committee of Senators' Interests. The Registrar shall, in accordance with procedures determined by the Committee, maintain a Training Program Register comprising statements provided under this resolution. Other than as specifically provided for in this resolution, the Committee has the same powers and functions in relation to the Training Program Register as it does in relation to the Register of Senators' Interests.

(3) The Registrar shall publish the Training Program Register and any alterations to the Training Program Register on the Parliament's website.

(4) Any senator who knowingly provides false or misleading information to the Registrar of Senators' Interests shall be guilty of a serious contempt of the Senate and shall be dealt with by the Senate accordingly, but the question of whether any senator has committed such a serious contempt shall first be referred to the Privileges Committee for inquiry and report and may not be considered by any other committee.

This motion relates to the Safe and Respectful Workplaces Training Program and provides procedures for senators to declare that they have undertaken training in relation to that program. I wish to place on the record the government's thanks to all parties and crossbenchers across this place and across the parliament for the constructive manner in which they have engaged in this motion as, indeed, they have engaged constructively through all stages of the response to the Foster review that was undertaken to help to provide for a better process in relation to the receipt and handling of complaints in relation to workplace bullying and sexual harassment in this place as well as the establishment of the training program. I acknowledge that many, many members of parliament and staff have already undertaken this training, and this motion will provide a clear means for members and senators to have registered, as the government indicated would occur, publicly that they have undertaken the training in accordance with those recommendations. The government looks forward to continuing to work across the parliament with all members and senators in relation to the implementation of the Foster review and also of the Jenkins review, which we expect to be released in coming days. I thank the Senate.