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

The Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill of 2026 is an administrative bill that amends certain different—and, indeed, connected—legislative frameworks associated with Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. While parliamentary frameworks legislation might not float everyone's boat, it's important. It's important, because this is also a bill that speaks to the bigger picture. It speaks to the bigger picture of parliamentary workplace reform, and it speaks to that bigger picture that has been driven over the last few years by this Albanese Labor government.

Of course, when we think of parliamentary workplace reform, many of us immediately think of the Set the standard report. This was the outcome of the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces, led by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, which was delivered in November 2021. The report documented widespread challenges, including bullying, sexual harassment and even cases of sexual assault. These were problems that needed addressing as a matter of urgency. Those widespread problems were in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. It revealed a culture with power imbalances. It revealed a culture with poor accountability and unsafe ways for people to report concerns.

To address these issues, the report set out 28 recommendations aimed at improving the culture of Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces and, indeed, embedding best practice workplace standards. Key recommendations included establishing clear codes of conduct, creating an independent body to receive and investigate complaints, introducing trauma informed support systems and improving leadership accountability. The recommendations called for a foundation of safety, respect and professional behaviour in all aspects of parliamentary work. Those principles, those foundations, should be true wherever you work, no matter where you work in our community, because that is the standard that we should set.

Accordingly, in 2023, the Albanese government passed the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act of 2023, which established the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, the PWSS, as an independent statutory agency. This delivered on a key recommendation of the report, and it's one of the acts that will be amended by this legislation.

As I mentioned, this bill amends various different frameworks, such as those used to guide employment and expenses. It is acknowledged that these are complex frameworks in both application and administration. They are also subject to differing review schedules, further adding to operational complexity.

This bill will combine multiple legislatively required reviews. This will enable the government to undertake a comprehensive and integrated review of the frameworks that govern the parliament and the frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. This is a responsive and effective approach to ensuring the standards are meeting the needs of our diverse and continually evolving parliamentary environment. These are standards and frameworks that need to be up to date, and these are standards and frameworks that need to accord with the way things work today. It will also ensure that these structures remain fit for purpose, support best practice governance and reflect the expectations of a contemporary workforce and a contemporary community.

Specifically, the bill will amend the commencement dates of the statutory reviews of three acts which are required during the 48th Parliament: (1) the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act of 2023, (2) the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act of 1984 and (3) the Parliamentary Business Resources Act of 2017. The amendments will mean that the required reviews can be carried out concurrently but also maintain the flexibility to be reviewed separately. These are the acts that underpin the parliamentary environment that we sit in right here today. They provide the interdependent set of legislative and administrative frameworks that regulate how resources are provided to parliamentarians, how their staff are employed and what services and supports are available to enable members and senators to carry out their democratic responsibilities effectively. Put simply, these frameworks make this place tick, and these frameworks are administered by multiple entities, each contributing to the delivery of support and guidance for parliamentarians and their staff across Australia.

The Parliamentary Business Resources Act establishes the core legislative foundation for how public resources are allocated and used by parliamentarians in the course of their official parliamentary duties. It sets out the rules, the principles and the accountability mechanisms that govern the responsible use of public funds and ensures that parliamentarians are equipped to fulfil their roles while also upholding the highest standards of integrity and stewardship.

The MOPS Act and the PWSS Act regulate the employment of staff who support parliamentarians in carrying out their parliamentary duties day in and day out. These are the people who give up their time to ensure that democracy gets done. Specifically, the MOPS Act provides the legislative basis that enable parliamentarians and office holders to employ staff on behalf of the Commonwealth. It was amended in 2023 to ensure the employment framework remains effective and aligned with modern workplace conditions. As part of these updates, a one-time statutory review was introduced with the review to occur no sooner than three years and no later than five years after those changes. This timeframe was set to allow sufficient opportunity to assess how the new provisions were operating in practice and also to determine whether additional amendments may be needed.

The PWSS Act, in turn, established the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, creating a centralised source of human resources, advisory services and other employment related support for parliamentarians and, importantly, their staff. Subsequent amendments to the PWSS Act also created the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, or IPSC, an independent body responsible for impartially investigating allegations of conduct that breech parliamentary behaviour codes. This bill also changes the frequency of future periodic reviews of the PWSS Act. This is currently undertaken each parliamentary term but would extend to once every five years.

I detailed some reforms that followed the release of the Set the standard report earlier. Others included the development and adoption of behaviour codes and standards for parliamentarians and their staff as well as Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces more generally. The implementation of the Set the standard report's recommendations were the continuation of a series of necessary and major reforms which have reshaped the Commonwealth parliamentary workforce as we know it. This includes the establishment of the Commonwealth statutory authority Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, or IPEA, in July 2017. The establishment of IPEA marked the most substantial reform to the management and oversight over parliamentarians' work expenses in more than 25 years, signalling a major step towards improving accountability and improving transparency in this area.

As an independent authority, IPEA is responsible for advising on, reporting and auditing the work expenses of parliamentarians and the staff employed under the MOPS Act. IPEA's functions are broad and are designed to strengthen integrity in the administration of public resources. IPEA provides guidance to parliamentarians and to MOPS Act staff on expenses and allowances, ensuring that they understand the rules and obligations that apply to them. It monitors the expenditure of both parliamentarians and their staff and prepares regular public reports. In addition to that oversight and reporting, IPEA conducts audits of all categories of work expenses and allowances, reinforcing public confidence in the proper use of Commonwealth funds. It is also responsible for processing claims, ensuring they are administered consistently, transparently and in accordance with legislative requirements.

This bill is supported by a commitment from the Albanese Labor government of $7.5 million over two years from 2025 to 2026 to implement a review with the purpose of ensuring the frameworks governing members, governing senators and governing staff are fit for purpose. The Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill means the required reviews of the PWSS Act, MOP(S) Act and PBR Act can be captured into a review of all legislation that departments and agencies associated with Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces fall under. It will enable a holistic review of the Commonwealth parliamentary workplace system, navigating the complexity of the different frameworks and providing recommendations to ensure the standards in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces meet community expectations and the expectations that Australians hold of all of us.

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