Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. What is the government doing to encourage fair workplaces that are free from workplace bullying?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wakefield for his question and his commitment to health and safety. On Saturday past, the Prime Minister and I had the privilege to stand alongside the Panlock family, Damian and Rae Panlock. People in this House may be familiar with what they have had to go through. Their daughter, Brodie, had a job at a cafe in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, and for a long period was the victim of sustained workplace bullying. The sad part of their story is that it became so much for Brodie that, in the end, she took her own life. This matter has been the subject of a coronial inquest and it has been the subject of good work done by both sides of Victorian politics in framing the law, which was passed recently, called Brodie's law, which makes our bullying fall within the definition of 'stalking' under the Crimes Act.

The Prime Minister announced on Saturday another important development to stamp out the scourge of workplace bullying. We know that people have a right to go home from work in just the same shape as they went to work. We know that not all injuries which occur at work are traumatic injuries or physical injuries; they can be mental health injuries. Bullying, and malicious bullying certainly, is a scourge in our community. The Productivity Commission has said that workplace bullying costs somewhere between $6 billion and $36 billion annually. Workplace bullying is not just isolated to the tragic case of Brodie Panlock.

The Prime Minister announced that, chaired by the member for Kingston, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment will report, by 30 November, on what can be done to improve the situation and stamp out the scourge of workplace bullying. It will examine the prevalence of it. We have asked for the committee to call for public submissions and evidence so that we can teach people that they can speak up about workplace bullying and that they should not feel ashamed if they are the victims of malice, gossip, harassment and treatment which is completely undeserved.

Indeed, this committee will also be asked to look at what are the best educative mechanisms and whether the laws of Australia are adequate. We have no doubt—and we promised the Panlocks—that there will be a bipartisan approach to this question. But it is very clear that vulnerability and anxiety in the workplace create circumstances where people can be bullied. Bullying can occur in all sorts of workplaces to all sorts of people. We know that it does not just happen to new and young workers; it can happen to people whatever their age or status. That is one reason why this government was able to say to the Panlocks: one thing we have already done to make sure that we stamp out workplace bullying is to remove some of the vulnerability and anxiety of workers. That is why we always need fair workplace laws which ensure that, at least, people have one less cause for anxiety and vulnerability in the Australian workplace. (Time expired)

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on indulgence, the opposition, like the minister who has just spoken, fully accepts that this is a very important subject. It is a dreadful scourge and we entirely support the reference to the committee.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.