Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

It's my joy to sum up the excellent contributions to the debate on the Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2026.

First, we had the member for Moreton, who reminded us where so much of this work came from—the power imbalances and poor culture that we've seen in this building for too long and that had been highlighted in the nation's media and in the nation's newspapers. We had the Set the standard report, which gave clear direction for this parliament. This was embraced and acted upon. We've made good progress, but we still have very complex interacting frameworks, and that is what this bill seeks to address. I note that the member for Moreton also rightly pointed out that this is about helping members and their staff navigate those complex frameworks and giving them a chance to have a say on how we can ensure they are fit for the future.

The member for Maribyrnong noted that some 4,000 people work in this building every day. Each of them in this workplace, like any other workplace, has the right to come to work safely and to go home safely—something I know you have much of your life standing up for, Deputy Speaker Garland. This is the home of Australia's democracy, and it's in all our interests to want that democracy to function as best it possibly can. And we've heard some of the stories, as the member for Maribyrnong reminded us, where we had 'the lived experience of staff who'd endured toxic workplaces'. Those workplaces weren't somewhere else; those workplaces were here. This is about ensuring that we do indeed set the standard. As the member noted, this is about that next step of cultural change, something that you never stop doing as there's always room for more improvement.

Probably the most accurate thing I heard in the debate was 'it is technical legislation', and this definitely fits that description well. But it's technical legislation that enforces our commitment to improve this workplace and to improve our democracy, as the member for Sturt outlined so well. When we are spending money, we have to ensure that it is in the public interest, as she said. She highlighted that we want 'dignified workplaces, sustainable work conditions, and a well-functioning parliament and democracy' and this will deliver that and allow people to put forward ideas about how we have those intersecting acts fit for the future.

In conclusion, the Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2026 would amend the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023, the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 and the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 to allow the statutory reviews of these acts to be combined as part of a holistic review of systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. Combining the three statutory reviews within a broader review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces will provide an opportunity to examine these acts in a holistic way and ensure the frameworks continue to be fit for purpose. It will also ensure the frequency of future periodic reviews of the PWSS Act and the PBR Act to allow them to be combined or conducted separately. I commend the bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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

Federation Chamber adjourned at 17 : 36

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