Phillip Barresi (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to make a contribution to this long anticipated bill, the Independent Contractors Bill 2006. One of the government’s 2004 election commitments was to introduce separate legislation governing independent contractors and on-hire arrangements. It is a commitment which has been highly anticipated by the sector. I am pleased that we are coming close to the time when legislation will go through this House and then be presented in the Senate.

This legislation and the issues that it covers have been widely canvassed throughout this country. Any member of the opposition who claims that this bill has for one reason or another been thrust through the parliament with little consideration does not know what they are talking about. This was an election commitment back in 2004; we have had a departmental discussion paper on the issue; we have had an inquiry by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation, which I am pleased to say I chaired, which brought down a great report, if I may say so, called Making it work. It was an inquiry into independent contractors.

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