Julie-Ann Campbell (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

You will see the signs when you take the car through the drive-through to pick up take-out on the way home. You will see the signs when you sit in the doctor's office waiting to go in to see the GP when you're sick. You will see the signs as you go through the check-out to buy your groceries on a weekly basis. It is now commonplace to see these signs that adorn walls, shopfronts and the counters of so many different places in our communities. Those signs state that aggressive behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated. Behaviour such as physical assault, abusive language, threats and verbal harassment will not be tolerated. I am sure that we can all agree that all workers, no matter where they work, should not have to put up with abuse and that they deserve to feel safe in their workplace. If you work in hospitality waiting tables, you should not have to put up with that. If you work in retail at the check-out, you should not have to put up with that. And, if you work for the Commonwealth, you should not have to put up with that.

Unfortunately, it is far too often not the case. The staff of Services Australia and other Commonwealth workplaces who are our front-line workers for government payments and services are, sadly, accustomed to being on the receiving end of abuse as they do their jobs. These are the people who process our Centrelink payments, who answer our taxation queries, who deal with passport inquiries and who run elections to make sure that our democracy runs. They are the face, they are the front line, and they deserve to be treated with respect.

It is simply not good enough to have it any other way. The effects of violence in the workplace can have long-lasting negative impacts on workers and their families, workplace culture and other members of the public. This bill, the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025, will establish a new act, the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Act, which will in turn provide a Commonwealth workplace protection orders scheme. The key objectives of this bill are to, firstly, provide legal protections for Commonwealth workplaces and workers and, secondly, to deter members of the public from violent and aggressive behaviour towards them—because we will not cop threats to working people, we will not cop abuse directed at working people and we will not cop violence when working people are its target.

Labor takes protecting workers incredibly seriously. This bill complements the Criminal Code Amendment (Protecting Commonwealth Frontline Workers) Act 2024. This was driven by the Albanese government and implements increased penalties for harming a Commonwealth front-line worker. The Labor government has an incredibly proud history not only of protecting workers but of supporting workers. We only have to look at the eight-hour day, the fantastic and incredibly important workplace health and safety legislation introduced not only in this place but also in states and territories across the breadth and depth of our country, superannuation, and the repeal of Work Choices and AWAs to know that Labor has always at its heart ensured that working people were protected and have the support that they fundamentally need day in, day out in the workplace.

Services Australia has 318 service centres across Australia. As at 30 June 2023, its face-to-face service division employed nearly 6½ thousand staff. The number of serious incidents across these service centres directly affecting these staff between July 2023 and June 2024 is extremely concerning. There were 1,694 incidents. That's over four per day. This frequency highlights the need for action and the need for action to happen right now, and that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing here tonight.

The former member for Maribyrnong commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review in 2023 after a government employee was seriously assaulted with a bladed weapon while at work. The review was led by Mr Graham Ashton, and it's worth taking a closer look at some of its 44 recommendations. Amongst other things, Mr Ashton was tasked with assessing the adequacy of the physical security measures at service centres and reviewing state criminal laws to ensure the maximum protection for both staff and customers. The findings of the report acknowledge that a key part of the role of Services Australia employees is to support Australians during challenging times in their lives. These are some of Australia's most vulnerable people when they may be at their most vulnerable. As the report stated, this highlights the need to prioritise the security and safety of staff, particularly when working in isolated locations and service centres in regions and rural communities.

As I said, the review resulted in 44 recommendations. Some concern culture and management, such as an ethos of staff feedback and leadership. Others are focused on physical security, expressing the need for upgraded security systems, security features of lobby designs and the employment of security guards. The Albanese Labor government has accepted every single one of those 44 recommendations.

This bill implements recommendation 17—that the current ACT workplace protection order provisions should be adopted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide, because it doesn't matter where you work—it doesn't matter if you're working in Queensland or working in the Territory, it doesn't matter if you're working in a city, it doesn't matter if you're working in the regions, it doesn't matter if you are working in rural or remote Queensland, it doesn't matter if you are working in any other state—you deserve protection in your workplace regardless of your postcode, regardless of your job, regardless of what you do day in and day out.

The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Order scheme will be available in most Commonwealth workplaces and, indeed, anywhere where a Commonwealth worker is undertaking official Commonwealth work. That includes pop-ups in shopping centres or a worker's house when they are working from home. The bill will let certain people from Commonwealth organisations apply to specific courts for a workplace protection order to help keep a worker or workplace safe.

This bill resolves a legislative gap in some state and territory protection order schemes, because, under this legislation, the worker who has been targeted does not need to apply for a workplace protection order in their own name. This measure boosts the privacy of Commonwealth workers and gives additional protections because we want a strong Public Service. Labor has always fought to have a strong Public Service. We have fought to make sure that we have the best and brightest working for the Commonwealth in critical services that people in this country rely on every day. To attract those people, to have a strong workforce, people need to understand and know and have the guarantee that this will not happen in their workplace and that they will be protected.

Commonwealth, state or territory courts will be able to assess applications. The bill allows for urgent applications to be applied for over the phone or via electronic means. The courts will consider a range of conditions to impose on a respondent to ensure the protection and safety of Commonwealth workers and subsequently decide on the type of order. These can be interim, which give temporary protection before a final decision. The second category is consent orders, which are made with agreement from all parties. Lastly, final orders are a long-term protection, typically lasting up to two years.

Contravening a workplace protection order may carry a penalty of 120 penalty units or two years of imprisonment or, in some cases, both. Conditions within the orders include no contact with a Commonwealth worker or no attendance at a Commonwealth workplace. This covers people working at Services Australia, the Australian Taxation Office, the Veterans Affairs' offices, Australia Post and ministerial and electorate offices—the people on our front line. It covers those subcontractors who also help these places run smoothly, the security guards and the cleaners.

It is important to note that, if a person is given a workplace protection order, it does not prevent them from accessing critical Commonwealth services as they require, or exercising their right to engage in political communication. If an applicant is seeking conditions that would limit the respondent's access to Commonwealth services or right to political communication, they must outline how alternative arrangements will work.

In 2021-22, Services Australia had 26.4 million Medicare customers, 11.4 million Centrelink customers and 1.2 million child support customers, customers who are people—everyday Australian citizens who rely on Commonwealth services for their health care; everyday Australian citizens who rely on Centrelink to support them and their families; everyday Australian citizens who rely on child support. These customers would have experienced what the Ashton review describes as 'a very strong service ethos'. The vast majority of these interactions would have been positive.

I would like to express my thanks to the hardworking people of Services Australia for their dedication to their roles, often in incredibly challenging circumstances. The people who work in Commonwealth services and for Services Australia must be applauded, celebrated and given the respect that they deserve for doing jobs that help people every day—doing jobs that are critical to the fabric of a society that cares for its people.

As Mr Ashton stated, Australians need the agency and its staff during times in their lives when they may be most vulnerable or in crisis. Accordingly, many customers also present with complex vulnerabilities that can impact their engagement with agency staff.

Violence towards any worker is unacceptable, and this bill sends a very strong message that Labor both values the workers who serve the public and is determined that they will be safe in their jobs. As I said at the beginning, it is critical that, no matter whether you work in the private sector, in the public sector, in retail, in hospitality or for any of the agencies that support the most vulnerable Australians in our community, every single day, you deserve respect. And Labor has always worked to ensure that that respect is given.

This bill is critical to taking the next step to stop people from being abused in their own workplaces. And we know that a workplace is a place where you should feel safe. We know that a workplace is a place where you go every day and you should understand and have the confidence and know that, when you get there, you will be safe. We know that a workplace is somewhere where you often spend more time with your colleagues at that workplace than with your family. And, when you go to that workplace, safety is paramount. No-one should ever feel compromised when it comes to safety in their day-to-day work.

This legislation aims to decrease the number of violent acts happening at face-to-face centres and to ensure the safety of people in their workplace every single day. Ensuring that workers are taken care of, ensuring that workers have confidence, ensuring that workers have agency, ensuring that workers feel safe, ensuring that workers feel supported is what Labor has always stood for. This bill is critical to continuing that legacy for people who work for the Commonwealth and for people who support Australians every day.

See this speech in context