Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I move that this Bill be now read a second time.

Returning integrity, honesty and accountability to government has been a focus of reform efforts for the Albanese government.

In July 2023, we established the National Anti-Corruption Commission—an independent, statutory agency to investigate serious or systemic corrupt conduct across the Commonwealth public sector.

In September 2023, we established the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service as a statutory authority to make Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces more safe and respectful.

In May 2024, we made ambitious and enduring reforms to the Australian Public Service. These changes codified an expectation that the APS builds its capability and institutional knowledge and supports the public interest now and into the future. In making these changes, we ensured the APS was impartial, committed to service, accountable, respectful and ethical.

In October 2024, we abolished the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, replacing it with the Administrative Review Tribunal, to ensure effective administrative review of decisions made by the Australian government.

In December 2025, we released the Australian Government Appointments Framework, setting out the principles and guidance to strengthen and support the merit based selection and appointment of individuals to public offices across the Commonwealth.

Ultimately, these reforms have been about restoring the public's trust and faith in government and institutions.

But there is still work to be done.

That is why the government is proud to present the Commonwealth Entities Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 today.

The bill makes changes to strengthen appointment safeguards, accountability and integrity of statutory office holders in the Australian Centre for International Research (ACIAR), Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC).

Existing arrangements have limited provisions for accountability where conduct or performance are unacceptable.

The amendments would expand and clarify the grounds for termination of the statutory office holders and introduce a power to suspend relevant office holders from their duties.

The amendments are sensitive to the inherent independence of decision-making by statutory authorities, particularly in relation to the Director of Safeguards at the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office.

The bill also permits the relevant minister—being the Attorney-General—to exercise a new directions power for the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. Importantly however, directions issued under this power can only be general in nature—respecting the independence of the OPC.

The community expects public officials to perform their duties with the utmost integrity—particularly those that operate at the highest level by leading our statutory authorities.

Breaches of the APS Code of Conduct, discrimination, bullying and harassment, and corruption are types of behaviour that are unacceptable in a modern workplace.

Failing to prevent or stop that type of behaviour is a failure to keep people safe in their places of work.

These amendments will ensure statutory office holders with direct management responsibilities for staff can be removed from office where their behaviour is considered serious misconduct.

Statutory office holders should also be held accountable for their performance. If their performance is unsatisfactory, then the government should have options to terminate them from their position.

This is the standard expected of most working Australians. It should apply to statutory office holders too.

The bill treats the role of the Director of Safeguards differently because of international standards for the chief regulators of nuclear and chemical nonproliferation. It is important for Australia's global standing that the director operates without suggestion of political interference.

For this reason, and in keeping with the principles of regulator independence, the bill limits termination of the Director of ASNO to serious misconduct that is found through a statutory inquiry for breaches of the APS Code of Conduct, or findings by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Through these continuing efforts to strengthen appointments provisions, the government has a clear focus on maintaining the public's trust, faith in our institutions, and ensuring the Commonwealth remains a model employer.

I commend the bill to the chamber.

Debate adjourned.

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