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

I thank the chamber for debate on this bill. The Albanese government is committed to ensuring integrity, honesty and accountability in government. The community expects public officials, especially those who are the subject of statutory appointments at senior levels, to perform their duties with the highest integrity. The Commonwealth Entities Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 will ensure that, where statutory office holders engage in behaviour that breaches the APS Code of Conduct, amounting to discrimination, bullying and harassment or corruption in their workplaces, they can be removed from office. The bill also ensures statutory office holders are held accountable for their performance, with unsatisfactory performance being appropriately addressed. These are standards expected of most working Australians. They should apply to statutory office holders too.

The Albanese government remains committed to the principles of regulator independence, and the bill is sensitive to the independence of decision-making by statutory authorities. To this end, the amendments in this bill are not designed to fetter the independence or discretion of statutory office holders but to ensure they are accountable for their performance and conduct in the workplace. The bill will strengthen appointment safeguards for a range of statutory office holders, and the government will continue its focus on returning integrity, honesty and accountability to government, ensuring we better reflect community expectations. Through these ongoing efforts, the government will continue to ensure the Commonwealth is the model employer we expect other employers to be. I commend the bill to the chamber.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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