Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to support the passage of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Bill 2023, Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023 and Members of Parliament (Staff) Amendment Bill 2023. This legislation has been long in development and consideration, and it is critical to the future reputation of this workplace as a respected and valuable employer. The legislation has had a very long and detailed gestation, and I commend everyone who has worked on developing it.

Over successive governments, we have seen improvements in the way this parliament operates. We've certainly had a few assessments and reviews in recent years, and I do want to note that it was under the coalition government that the Foster review was commissioned and there was also the commissioning of the review by the Australian Human Rights Commission, headed by Sexual Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. I really want to thank Ms Jenkins for her work in that review and the way she conducted that review: the confidential nature of it, giving staff across the board and politicians the ability to provide information and feedback to the review in an entirely confidential manner. It also enabled the provision of a report that was thorough and comprehensive in considering all the necessary details. Following those two reviews, the former coalition government established the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, which will now be enshrined by this legislation.

This bill demonstrates a commitment to deliver on the recommendations of the Jenkins review and the Set the standard report that was written, directed at making all commonwealth parliamentary workplaces safe and respectful. Commissioner Jenkins set out to deliver a review that was evidence based, voluntary and trauma-informed, and she certainly did that. Her report made 28 recommendations, and their implementation is a shared responsibility across the parliament. And that is why the development of the bill that we're discussing today was led by a cross-parliamentary leadership taskforce, which was assisted by a staff consultation group because, very importantly, in this aspect, our staff—I mean, our staff always matter, but this is about making this place safer and a better workplace for staff and for ourselves. I am a member of the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce and I want to thank all members of the task force for the constructive and collaborative way we all worked together to ensure that this bill was deliverable and implementable. I thank all of my colleagues for the respectful way we had discussions and did those consultations with staff. I want to thank all the staff who participated in the consultation group for their thoughtful feedback and for the way they constructively approached this task.

The first bill in this package, the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Bill, implements recommendation 11 of the report, which stated:

The Australian Government should establish an Office of Parliamentarian Staffing and Culture, within 12 months, to provide human resources support to parliamentarians and Members of Parliament (Staff) Act employees that is:

(a) centralised and accountable to Parliament, with the enforcement of standards

(b) designed to provide human resources support and administrative functions in the areas of policy development, training, advice and support, and education.

Through our discussions and considerations, the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce determined that the PWSS is the appropriate vehicle for that Office of Parliamentarian Staffing and Culture, and there is further work to be done on establishing the next steps.

On establishment of the PWSS, it will do further work to implement another five of the Jenkins recommendations. The Set the standardreport found that there was an absence of an appropriate authoritative culture for parliamentarians and their staff and a lack of standardised people management processes. Parliament is not a homogeneous, single workplace. It's more akin to a shopping mall, where each individual office is like an individual shop within that shopping mall. It is a complex beast, which was recognised by Jenkins. But, by establishing the PWSS, we have developed support, complaint resolution and review functions that the existing service will integrate into the new entity. We've got a consistent and standardised package of training for parliamentarians and their staff. We will start to have more common standards across this varied workplace.

The review function, which is akin to a complaint investigation process, will continue to be performed by the new service pending the establishment of the independent parliamentary standards commission, which is recommendation 22 of the report. This new body will have delegated power that incorporates the new PWSS, including its advisory and support functions. I look forward to the continued work of the PLT in establishing the independent parliamentary standards commission. As it stands, and under this bill, the PWSS and then later the IPSC will operate a fair, independent, confidential and transparent system to receive disclosures as well as to handle formal and informal complaints and appeals about misconduct. It is intended that the new commission will also be led by an independent office holder. The PWSS will continue to have education and training functions to support parliamentarians and their staff in their employment relationship. It will also provide training on codes of conduct to a broader cohort of people that work in the parliamentary workplace. As the Jenkins review described:

Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces are an ecosystem made up of multiple workplaces, each with its own culture.

The Set the standard report highlighted in so many ways how parliament is unique. But it also, importantly, reminded us:

This is Parliament. It should set the standard for workplace culture, not the floor of what culture should be.

This legislation has many parts, but, importantly, it does establish the PWSS with a range of obligations, including human resources support, policy development, education and training, and reporting on things such as diversity, culture and work health and safety. The legislation, importantly, establishes the chief executive officer and arrangements for the appointment, conditions and termination of the CEO. The independence of the PWSS CEO is absolutely integral to the effective working of the body. They must genuinely be independent, because that is what will deliver and enshrine raised standards and a better workplace culture. Another important part of the bill is the establishment of the PWSS advisory body, who will assist the CEO in the operations of the PWSS. There will also be the establishment of a consultative committee made up of an independent chair, parliamentarians and staff of parliamentarians, which will provide an important conduit to allow employers and employees alike to speak directly with the PWSS.

The consequential amendments that are provided for in the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023 cover off changes and transitional arrangements as the new PWSS is embedded. The last bill in this group, the Members of Parliament (Staff) Amendment Bill, amends certain sections of the act commonly referred to as the MOP(S) Act to improve transparency and clarify the employment framework for parliamentarians and their staff. This has been developed through the review of the MOP(S) Act which was undertaken by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet last October and will also help drive the cultural change in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces

Parliament House is a special place. It's a place that we should all feel privileged to work in but we should all feel safe to work in. It is filled with passionate and dedicated people who work on very hard and important issues that can change lives, deliver prosperity and economic security, and enshrine our very high standards of democracy. There is a cross-party desire to have this suite of legislation passed as soon as reasonably possible but it's very important that it be right. Too much has gone into the development of these bills thus far. It is important that we focus on ensuring that our Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces, not just in this building but across the Commonwealth parliamentary workforce, can demonstrate to staff that they are valued, that they feel respected, and that they can feel safe where they work and with whom they work.

I thank everyone who's worked so hard to date to deliver the very best and my colleagues on the parliamentary leadership task force. I also want to make specific mention of both Senator Katy Gallagher and Senator Jane Hume, who have worked very hard to make sure that this bill can be implemented with common sense and practicality. I'd also like to thank Senator Hume's adviser, John Harris, and her team for keeping my office and me informed every step along the way. I value that contribution by the staff and I hope the passage of these bills today makes this place an even better place to work.