Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

Apologies, I think it was someone who was here previously who was providing answers to some of those questions. This bill provides safeguards against unmeritorious claims. If an applicant institutes a proceeding vexatiously or without reasonable cause, or if the applicant's unreasonable act or omission causes the other party to incur the costs, the court can order the applicant pay the respondent's costs. This means that the risk of an adverse order will continue to deter unmeritorious claims as applicants may be ordered to bear their own and the respondent's costs in these cases. These safeguards will exist alongside the protections against unmeritorious complaints under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act and the federal unlawful discrimination law framework.