Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

This is just to ensure that we have in place, in a sense, a safety net for those investigations that may be ongoing in the event of the parliament dissolving. It's essentially to give comfort and time for those ongoing investigations to continue. I seek leave to move amendments (1) to (4) on sheet ZB244 together.

Leave granted.

In respect of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Bill 2023, I move government amendments (1) to (4) on sheet ZB244 together:

(1) Clause 5, page 5 (after line 14), after the definition of member, insert:

Minister: see section 6A.

(2) Page 7 (after line 24), after clause 6, insert:

6A References to the Minister

Despite section 19 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, a reference to "the Minister" in a provision of this Act or the PWSS rules at a particular time is a reference to:

(a) the Special Minister of State, if there is a Minister identified by that title at that time; or

(b) otherwise—the Minister, or any of the Ministers, administering the provision at that time.

Note: A reference to a Minister in paragraph (a) or (b) of this section may include a reference to a person acting for or on behalf of the Minister (see subsection 19(4) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901).

(3) Clause 22, page 21 (line 31) to page 22 (line 3), omit subclauses 22(5) and (6), substitute:

(5) Before the PWSS publishes a report under this section on its website, the PWSS must give each of the following persons (a Presiding Officer) a copy of the report:

(a) the President of the Senate;

(b) the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(6) A Presiding Officer of a House of the Parliament must cause a copy of the report to be presented to that House as soon as practicable after the Presiding Officer receives the copy under subsection (5).

(4) Clause 22, page 22 (line 5), omit "laid before", substitute "presented to".

These are some amendments we have negotiated with the opposition to ensure that the administering minister is the Special Minister of State and that, when it comes to tabling public reports, those are done by the presiding officers, which is in line with entities like the ANAO. That's the way its reports are tabled. I commend those amendments to the chamber.