Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This is the second piece of legislation to come before this parliament in the wake of the horrific attack on a Services Australia employee who was just doing her job. A public servant going about her day—doing her job like public servants in every part of this country—was punched in the face and stabbed in the back, leaving her with life-changing injuries. This is appalling. No Australian should be attacked at work.

So, when former Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton made recommendations, following a review of security arrangements at Services Australia and indeed in all Commonwealth workplaces, we took them very seriously. One of those recommendations led to the Criminal Code Amendment (Protecting Commonwealth Frontline Workers) Bill 2024. This was a bill to expand the criminal offences for assaulting a frontline worker employed by the Commonwealth. The coalition supported the bill and it passed the parliament on a bipartisan basis.

Another one of those recommendations in the Ashton review has led to this bill that we're considering today. As the member for Watson said when reintroducing this bill—and we acknowledge his comments on the need for this and the constructive approach that all sides of politics have taken to this legislation—there have been more than 1,700 serious incidents at Services Australia between July 2023 and July last year.

But all of us in this place know that Services Australia employees are not the only ones to face these threats. It's also the employees in our embassies, the contractors and subcontractors on our defence bases, private security guards routinely found on Commonwealth premises, officers of the Australian Federal Police and, indeed, the staff in our electorate offices. As recently as May 2025, two Australian Border Force contractors were assaulted and stabbed whilst at work.

This legislation came before parliament last term, and we indicated at the time that we would support the bill after a quick committee inquiry. That committee inquiry was handed down on a bipartisan basis, with a recommendation for minor changes but otherwise supporting the legislation. So the coalition is pleased to reiterate its support for this bill today.

In essence, what the bill does is to create a scheme for Commonwealth workplace protection orders. These orders are similar to apprehended and personal violence order schemes that are commonplace in the states and territories. These orders will apply in Commonwealth workplaces or to protect Commonwealth workers. This means the orders can apply to an entire workplace, such as an electorate office or Services Australia centre. It also means that the orders can specifically protect individual Commonwealth workers who have been targeted—whether in the car park, on the way home or outside working hours.

As I mentioned previously, the potential risks faced by Commonwealth workers are not just limited to Services Australia employees but are very broad. So the very broad definition of the term 'Commonwealth worker' is appropriate. The broad definition means that the orders will be able to protect Services Australia employees, Australian Federal Police, contractors, security guards, volunteers and electorate office staff. This approach is sensible and warrants the support of the chamber.

In terms of the substance of the protection orders, the bill would also allow a court to direct a person not to attend a particular Commonwealth workplace, not to go near an affected worker and to comply with other appropriate conditions. Only a court can make such an order, and it must be cancelled if the grounds for the order cease to exist. To make this type of order, a court must be satisfied that a person has engaged in personal violence or made threats of personal violence and there is a real risk that the person will engage in further violence if the order is not made.

Like other schemes, a person does not commit an offence simply because an order is made against them. However, contravening an order is punishable by up to two years jail, or 120 penalty units—currently just under $40,000—or both. These penalties are in line with the penalties for similar schemes.

The scheme does not require a worker to apply for an order themselves; applications can also be made by the relevant agency through an authorised person. This means that a worker who has been targeted does not necessarily need to be the one attending a court and applying for a protection order in their own name. We understand that the burden on the state and territory court system is expected to be minimal.

As I mentioned, this bill has been subjected to the usual scrutiny processes through the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, and was endorsed by the committee. It has also been examined by the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee, and clarifying information from the former responsible minister was provided through that scrutiny process. That being the case, the coalition is pleased to support this bill, and I commend it to the House.

Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 has at its heart a desire to provide legal protections for workers and workplaces in the Commonwealth space, to deter acts of violence and to deter other harmful behaviours by members of the public. It is a direct result of the unfortunate increasing risk of harm being faced by Commonwealth workers on a daily basis. This particularly applies to those working in frontline service delivery roles. This legislation is an important step forward in recognising the dignity and safety of workers who dedicate their lives and careers to serving the public.

Across my home state of South Australia, thousands of people work in roles that bring them into direct contact with members of the community every day, often in challenging, highly emotional and sensitive circumstances. These are the workers who staff Centrelink and Medicare counters, support jobseekers and older Australians, deliver the mail, manage immigration and border services, and answer calls in service hubs that Australians rely on. These people perform critical functions, but, too often, they face abuse, intimidation or threats, simply for doing their job. Data tells us that in the year between July 2023 and June 2024, there were just under 1,700 serious incidents across the face-to-face services that Services Australia provides to the Australian public.

Data provided in the submission made by Services Australia in connection with this legislation revealed that, in 2023 and 2024, Services Australia had 27.1 million Medicare customers, 8.5 million Centrelink customers and 1.1 million child support customers and that, as at 31 December 2024, there were just over 35,000 people working in Services Australia roles. The data also indicated that, during 2023 and 2024, frontline workers in service centres acted to support Australians through approximately 10 million customer contacts—an extraordinary achievement. That is dedication and commitment to the Australian people. But regular instances of customer aggression meant that, during that period, service centre staff reported just over 12,000 customer aggression incidents, including the just under 1,700 that are recorded as serious incidents. Services Australia has reported that incidents of customer aggression included experiences of physical assault, including with a weapon. This is in addition to spitting; arson; objects being thrown at frontline workers; repeated exposure to obscene and offensive material; verbal abuse, including serious threats of harm; and property damage.

This is not acceptable. The mental health toll that these acts of customer aggression take on staff and their families is not acceptable. The loss of confidence that these acts of customer aggression cause to staff is not acceptable. The economic cost of absence from the workplace and the economic cost of other productivity losses by virtue of these acts of customer aggression is not acceptable. Equally, the physical cost must also not be forgotten. It is a terrible thing that, as recently as May 2025, two Australian Border Force contractors were seriously assaulted with a bladed weapon whilst at work. This is not acceptable. This government values the work that frontline Commonwealth workers do every day to support their fellow Australians. This government takes the view that any violence against Commonwealth workers is unacceptable, and this legislation is designed to deter this kind of repugnant conduct.

The purpose of the legislation is simple. It is to ensure that those who serve the public can do so safely. It allows for the granting of swift and effective protection orders when workers face harassment, stalking, threats or violence in connection with their work. At its heart, this legislation makes it clear that, if you step up to serve the public, you deserve to be safe while providing that service. Select courts will, therefore, upon application by an authorised person and after taking into consideration relevant circumstances, be able to issue a workplace protection order on behalf of a Commonwealth worker or workplace. Workplace protection orders can be issued in circumstances where personal violence against a worker or a workplace has arisen out of or is in direct connection with the official functions or duties of the relevant worker or relevant workplace and when there is a real risk it will occur again if an order is not made. 'Personal violence' is defined to include acts of violence, harassment, intimidation, threats of harm and other harmful non-physical violence such as verbal abuse over the phone or via email.

I also want to recognise the balance that has tried to be struck and which strikes at the heart of this reform. Government services must remain open, accessible and welcoming to everyone, especially those who are under pressure and may be at their most vulnerable when they walk through the door, when they are feeling helpless, when they are feeling let down, where they have nowhere else to turn. The goal of the workplace protection orders act is to ensure that every member of the community can seek help in an environment that is safe, respectful and constructive. Important to this is the understanding that the imposition of a workplace protection order will not eliminate or limit any person from accessing necessary Commonwealth services as required. This strikes the careful balance between protecting the health and wellbeing of workers and the need for all Australians to be supported through life's many challenges. The legislation does this by contemplating alternative procedures or arrangements for how the person over whom a workplace protection order has been issued may still access the support services that they need. If someone is subject to a workplace protection order, they are not barred from receiving help, because services, support and assistance can still be provided through alternative means such as scheduled appointments, phone or online channels or with staff in supervised and managed environments, facilitating the right to payments and services by ensuring that they can be accessed in a safe way, thus allowing for both staff wellbeing and the delivery for Australians at difficult and challenging times of need. That is the balance that has been sought and that is the balance that will be struck by this legislation. We know that a reduction or elimination of services or support for a person who is on the edge may have even more adverse consequences for that person, for their family and possibly for the community, and that is the motivation for the balance that this legislation seeks to achieve.

Under this legislation, affected workers are also granted privacy protections as well as workplace health and safety protections, so they do not need to bring an application forward in their own name. This privacy regime protects them from any adverse consequences that may arise from having to bring the action in their own name. This important scheme will be available to most Commonwealth workplaces, extending to anywhere a Commonwealth worker is conducting official Commonwealth work.

This matters deeply in South Australia, where service delivery roles are a backbone of our communities. In Sturt, and across the country, staff at Services Australia sites and other frontline agencies provide support for families, support for people with disability and support for those experiencing unemployment or hardship. They are often the face of government, explaining complex systems, helping people in crisis and doing their best to resolve issues and achieve an outcome.

Some of these people work at the Services Australia branch located in Norwood, in the very heart of my electorate of Sturt, where staff provide services to residents of Sturt in connection with Centrelink, Medicare and My Aged Care and where residents also access information in relation to child support and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Yet, because these workers are the point of contact, they are also the ones most exposed when frustration spills over into aggression. Protecting these workers is about valuing the people who make government services accessible and human.

It is also personal for me. In Sturt I have recently set up the Sturt electorate office, with a team of young staff with diverse backgrounds from the private sector and from the public sector, who joined me because they want to help their community. They see themselves as a front door for people needing access to government, whether it is for a pension issue, support to understand the visa and immigration system, assistance with Centrelink or with tax or with housing, the provision of a pocket constitution or the provision of the Australian flag. These young people bring energy, compassion and commitment to their work every day, and I want to know that, when they do that, they are safe.

I want to know that when someone walks into the Sturt electorate office, or makes contact with the electorate office online, through the telephone, at a shopping centre visit or at a street-corner meeting, the excellent team in the Sturt electorate office can help our community and do their jobs without fear of intimidation or harm. This legislation gives me that assurance. It gives me the assurance that workers in Services Australia offices—all 35,000 of them across this great country—will be safe when they provide support services to Australians during life's challenging times.

Ultimately, this legislation is about respect. It is respect for people who show up each and every day to help their fellow Australians navigate essential services. It is respect for their role in keeping our systems running. Protecting them is not just good workplace policy; it is the right thing to do.

Mary Doyle (Aston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in strong support of the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This bill introduces new legislation and with it a new national scheme designed to provide Commonwealth workers with the safety, dignity and protection they deserve in the course of their duties. This is a bill about safety. This is a bill about fairness. And, most importantly, this is a bill about respect—respect for the thousands of Australians who dedicate themselves to delivering critical services on behalf of the Commonwealth.

Let me begin with why we are here. This bill is borne out of both necessity and tragedy. In 2023 the Albanese Labor government commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review, led by Graham Ashton AM APM, a respected law enforcement and public safety leader. That review, commonly referred to as the Ashton review, was triggered by what happened to a 55-year-old Services Australia team leader, Joeanne Cassar, one day in May of 2023 at a branch in Melbourne. Earlier that morning, a man whom Services Australia had already deemed a risk to workers, but whom they had no legal authority to ban from the branch, had turned up again. As team leader, Joeanne asked him to leave, and he did so immediately, but then he came back later with a knife. Joeanne had stepped in to cover for a security guard taking a lunch break. When the man returned with the knife, he lunged at Joeanne, chasing her back into the office. He punched her in the face and stabbed her once in the lower back, just missing her spine and kidneys but leaving her with life-changing injuries and enduring pain. This should never have been allowed to happen. Joeanne said only last month: 'We should all be safe at work. We all have family we want to get back to. It took me seven days to get home. And I'm one of the lucky ones.' No-one should ever go to work fearing that they may not come home safely or, worse, not come home at all.

The Ashton review looked into the risks faced by Commonwealth frontline workers, especially those in public-facing roles. It made 44 recommendations to strengthen safety, security and protections. The government agreed to all 44 recommendations. One of those recommendations, recommendation 17, was that the current ACT workplace protection order provisions should be adapted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide, and that is precisely what this bill does.

Some may ask: Is there really such a need? Are Commonwealth workers really at such risk? The answer is absolutely yes.

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Aston, just resume your seat for a moment. Could I just ask the members down here—they are in a direct line between the Speaker's chair and the person speaking. So, if you need to have a conversation, you can just go outside into the lounge room.

Mary Doyle (Aston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Between July 2023 and June 2024 alone, there were 1,694 serious incidents across Services Australia's face-to-face service channel. These were not minor complaints. These were serious incidents: threats, assaults, intimidation, harassment and acts of violence. As recently as May this year, two Australian Border Force contractors were assaulted with a bladed weapon while simply doing their job. These are not isolated events. They are part of a disturbing trend of aggression towards the people who serve our communities on behalf of the Commonwealth. I say this clearly. Any violence towards a Commonwealth worker is unacceptable. It is unacceptable morally, it is unacceptable legally and it is unacceptable in the kind of nation we aspire to be. This bill aims to deter such abhorrent conduct, to protect Commonwealth workers and to make it crystal clear that violence, intimidation and threats against those who serve the public will not be tolerated.

Why is new Commonwealth legislation necessary? At present, most states and territories do have protection order schemes: family violence orders, personal safety orders and workplace protection orders. But these schemes have a gap. Under those laws, it is usually the affected individual, the victim themselves, who must bring forward an application in their name. That means a Commonwealth worker who is harassed, threatened or assaulted while on duty would have to put their name forward personally in making the application and, in some cases, would have to face their aggressor in court. That is unfair. It places an additional burden on people who are already vulnerable and who have already been subjected to violence or threats. The bill closes that legislative gap. Under the Commonwealth workplace protection order scheme, an authorised person from a Commonwealth entity will be able to apply for a workplace protection order on behalf of the worker or the workplace. This not only enhances privacy for Commonwealth workers but also strengthens their workplace health and safety protections. It allows them to keep serving the public without having to personally bear the legal and emotional weight of confronting their aggressor.

Let me now turn to the key features of this important legislation. This scheme will apply to most Commonwealth workplaces, but it recognises that Commonwealth work is not limited to traditional offices or service centres. It will extend to mobile service pop-up shops in shopping centres. It will cover Commonwealth vehicles. It will even extend to a worker's own residence if they are working from home in the course of their official duties. In short, wherever a Commonwealth worker is carrying out Commonwealth work, this bill provides protection.

The bill empowers an authorised person from a Commonwealth entity to apply to select courts for a workplace protection order on behalf of a worker or workplace. These applications can be made where personal violence has arisen out of, or in direct connection with, official Commonwealth duties and where there is a real risk it will occur again. The definition of 'personal violence' in this bill is intentionally broad and modern. It includes acts of physical violence, harassment and intimidation; threats of harm and harmful non-physical violence, such as verbal abuse over the phone or via email—because violence is not just physical; it can be psychological, verbal or digital, and our laws need to reflect that reality.

On application, a Commonwealth, state or territory court will be able to make an interim consent or final order. In urgent circumstances interim orders can even be sought by phone or electronic means. When making a workplace protection order, the court will be able to impose conditions necessary or desirable to protect the worker or workplace. However—this is crucial—the bill makes it clear that a protection order cannot prevent a person from accessing necessary Commonwealth services or from exercising their democratic right to political communication. If conditions might limit access to services or communication, applicants must provide the court with information about alternative arrangements. This strikes the right balance between protecting workers and safeguarding the rights of the public. Either party, the Commonwealth or the respondent, can apply to vary or revoke an order. Appeals can also be made to the court, ensuring procedural fairness.

Breaching a workplace protection order will carry serious consequences—up to 120 penalty units or two years imprisonment, or both. That sends a clear and strong message: protection orders are not optional; they are orders of the court and they will be enforced.

Finally, the bill provides for a statutory review of the scheme three years after commencement. That will ensure the scheme is operating as intended and allow improvements where necessary.

Behind all the details there are three principles at the heart of this bill. First is safety. Every worker has a right to be safe at work. That includes the teachers in our schools, the nurses in our hospitals and, yes, the Commonwealth workers in our service centres, airports and offices. Second is dignity. No one should be demeaned, intimidated or abused simply for doing their job. This bill recognises the humanity of our workers and gives them the legal backing they need to stand tall. Third is respect—respect for those who serve. Whether they are frontline service officers, Border Force contractors or policy staff working from home, they deserve respect, not aggression.

This bill is also an important statement. It sends a strong message that the Albanese government values the workers who provide critical government services. It sends a strong message that violence and aggression towards those workers is unacceptable. It sends a strong message that the Commonwealth will stand by its people, not leave them to fend for themselves. When we talk about these protections, we are not talking about abstract legal concepts; we are talking about real people—the Services Australia officer who faces daily verbal abuse at the counter, the Border Force contractor assaulted with a knife while trying to keep our community safe and the Centrelink worker who receives threats over the phone simply for enforcing the law. These are people with families, with children, with loved ones waiting for them at home, and the least we can do as a parliament is make sure they get home safe.

The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 is not just another piece of legislation. It is a concrete step towards safer Commonwealth workplaces. It is a practical response to the recommendations of the Ashton review. It is a demonstration that this government will not tolerate violence against its workers. I commend this bill to the House and I urge all members to support it not just for the sake of the law but for the sake of the people who serve our nation every single day.

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

You will see the signs when you take the car through the drive-through to pick up take-out on the way home. You will see the signs when you sit in the doctor's office waiting to go in to see the GP when you're sick. You will see the signs as you go through the check-out to buy your groceries on a weekly basis. It is now commonplace to see these signs that adorn walls, shopfronts and the counters of so many different places in our communities. Those signs state that aggressive behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated. Behaviour such as physical assault, abusive language, threats and verbal harassment will not be tolerated. I am sure that we can all agree that all workers, no matter where they work, should not have to put up with abuse and that they deserve to feel safe in their workplace. If you work in hospitality waiting tables, you should not have to put up with that. If you work in retail at the check-out, you should not have to put up with that. And, if you work for the Commonwealth, you should not have to put up with that.

Unfortunately, it is far too often not the case. The staff of Services Australia and other Commonwealth workplaces who are our front-line workers for government payments and services are, sadly, accustomed to being on the receiving end of abuse as they do their jobs. These are the people who process our Centrelink payments, who answer our taxation queries, who deal with passport inquiries and who run elections to make sure that our democracy runs. They are the face, they are the front line, and they deserve to be treated with respect.

It is simply not good enough to have it any other way. The effects of violence in the workplace can have long-lasting negative impacts on workers and their families, workplace culture and other members of the public. This bill, the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025, will establish a new act, the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Act, which will in turn provide a Commonwealth workplace protection orders scheme. The key objectives of this bill are to, firstly, provide legal protections for Commonwealth workplaces and workers and, secondly, to deter members of the public from violent and aggressive behaviour towards them—because we will not cop threats to working people, we will not cop abuse directed at working people and we will not cop violence when working people are its target.

Labor takes protecting workers incredibly seriously. This bill complements the Criminal Code Amendment (Protecting Commonwealth Frontline Workers) Act 2024. This was driven by the Albanese government and implements increased penalties for harming a Commonwealth front-line worker. The Labor government has an incredibly proud history not only of protecting workers but of supporting workers. We only have to look at the eight-hour day, the fantastic and incredibly important workplace health and safety legislation introduced not only in this place but also in states and territories across the breadth and depth of our country, superannuation, and the repeal of Work Choices and AWAs to know that Labor has always at its heart ensured that working people were protected and have the support that they fundamentally need day in, day out in the workplace.

Services Australia has 318 service centres across Australia. As at 30 June 2023, its face-to-face service division employed nearly 6½ thousand staff. The number of serious incidents across these service centres directly affecting these staff between July 2023 and June 2024 is extremely concerning. There were 1,694 incidents. That's over four per day. This frequency highlights the need for action and the need for action to happen right now, and that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing here tonight.

The former member for Maribyrnong commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review in 2023 after a government employee was seriously assaulted with a bladed weapon while at work. The review was led by Mr Graham Ashton, and it's worth taking a closer look at some of its 44 recommendations. Amongst other things, Mr Ashton was tasked with assessing the adequacy of the physical security measures at service centres and reviewing state criminal laws to ensure the maximum protection for both staff and customers. The findings of the report acknowledge that a key part of the role of Services Australia employees is to support Australians during challenging times in their lives. These are some of Australia's most vulnerable people when they may be at their most vulnerable. As the report stated, this highlights the need to prioritise the security and safety of staff, particularly when working in isolated locations and service centres in regions and rural communities.

As I said, the review resulted in 44 recommendations. Some concern culture and management, such as an ethos of staff feedback and leadership. Others are focused on physical security, expressing the need for upgraded security systems, security features of lobby designs and the employment of security guards. The Albanese Labor government has accepted every single one of those 44 recommendations.

This bill implements recommendation 17—that the current ACT workplace protection order provisions should be adopted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide, because it doesn't matter where you work—it doesn't matter if you're working in Queensland or working in the Territory, it doesn't matter if you're working in a city, it doesn't matter if you're working in the regions, it doesn't matter if you are working in rural or remote Queensland, it doesn't matter if you are working in any other state—you deserve protection in your workplace regardless of your postcode, regardless of your job, regardless of what you do day in and day out.

The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Order scheme will be available in most Commonwealth workplaces and, indeed, anywhere where a Commonwealth worker is undertaking official Commonwealth work. That includes pop-ups in shopping centres or a worker's house when they are working from home. The bill will let certain people from Commonwealth organisations apply to specific courts for a workplace protection order to help keep a worker or workplace safe.

This bill resolves a legislative gap in some state and territory protection order schemes, because, under this legislation, the worker who has been targeted does not need to apply for a workplace protection order in their own name. This measure boosts the privacy of Commonwealth workers and gives additional protections because we want a strong Public Service. Labor has always fought to have a strong Public Service. We have fought to make sure that we have the best and brightest working for the Commonwealth in critical services that people in this country rely on every day. To attract those people, to have a strong workforce, people need to understand and know and have the guarantee that this will not happen in their workplace and that they will be protected.

Commonwealth, state or territory courts will be able to assess applications. The bill allows for urgent applications to be applied for over the phone or via electronic means. The courts will consider a range of conditions to impose on a respondent to ensure the protection and safety of Commonwealth workers and subsequently decide on the type of order. These can be interim, which give temporary protection before a final decision. The second category is consent orders, which are made with agreement from all parties. Lastly, final orders are a long-term protection, typically lasting up to two years.

Contravening a workplace protection order may carry a penalty of 120 penalty units or two years of imprisonment or, in some cases, both. Conditions within the orders include no contact with a Commonwealth worker or no attendance at a Commonwealth workplace. This covers people working at Services Australia, the Australian Taxation Office, the Veterans Affairs' offices, Australia Post and ministerial and electorate offices—the people on our front line. It covers those subcontractors who also help these places run smoothly, the security guards and the cleaners.

It is important to note that, if a person is given a workplace protection order, it does not prevent them from accessing critical Commonwealth services as they require, or exercising their right to engage in political communication. If an applicant is seeking conditions that would limit the respondent's access to Commonwealth services or right to political communication, they must outline how alternative arrangements will work.

In 2021-22, Services Australia had 26.4 million Medicare customers, 11.4 million Centrelink customers and 1.2 million child support customers, customers who are people—everyday Australian citizens who rely on Commonwealth services for their health care; everyday Australian citizens who rely on Centrelink to support them and their families; everyday Australian citizens who rely on child support. These customers would have experienced what the Ashton review describes as 'a very strong service ethos'. The vast majority of these interactions would have been positive.

I would like to express my thanks to the hardworking people of Services Australia for their dedication to their roles, often in incredibly challenging circumstances. The people who work in Commonwealth services and for Services Australia must be applauded, celebrated and given the respect that they deserve for doing jobs that help people every day—doing jobs that are critical to the fabric of a society that cares for its people.

As Mr Ashton stated, Australians need the agency and its staff during times in their lives when they may be most vulnerable or in crisis. Accordingly, many customers also present with complex vulnerabilities that can impact their engagement with agency staff.

Violence towards any worker is unacceptable, and this bill sends a very strong message that Labor both values the workers who serve the public and is determined that they will be safe in their jobs. As I said at the beginning, it is critical that, no matter whether you work in the private sector, in the public sector, in retail, in hospitality or for any of the agencies that support the most vulnerable Australians in our community, every single day, you deserve respect. And Labor has always worked to ensure that that respect is given.

This bill is critical to taking the next step to stop people from being abused in their own workplaces. And we know that a workplace is a place where you should feel safe. We know that a workplace is a place where you go every day and you should understand and have the confidence and know that, when you get there, you will be safe. We know that a workplace is somewhere where you often spend more time with your colleagues at that workplace than with your family. And, when you go to that workplace, safety is paramount. No-one should ever feel compromised when it comes to safety in their day-to-day work.

This legislation aims to decrease the number of violent acts happening at face-to-face centres and to ensure the safety of people in their workplace every single day. Ensuring that workers are taken care of, ensuring that workers have confidence, ensuring that workers have agency, ensuring that workers feel safe, ensuring that workers feel supported is what Labor has always stood for. This bill is critical to continuing that legacy for people who work for the Commonwealth and for people who support Australians every day.

Gabriel Ng (Menzies, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am proud to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 as a former public servant. It is too little acknowledged that, without public servants, governments of any persuasion would grind to a halt. Public servants make up the majority of the executive arm of government, one of the three pillars of our democratic system. We rely on them to provide frank and fearless advice, deliver services and engage with the public. One of the most important roles of government is to act as a social safety net. As a result, public servants are dealing on a daily basis with some of the most vulnerable in our society—people in difficult and desperate circumstances. This in turn can lead to complex behaviours, aggression and even violence.

Having worked for various government departments, I understand the risks that frontline workers can face. That is why it is so important to have strong protective mechanisms in place for those workers. As people who provide vital supports, they are essential. Every day public servants serve the nation, deliver critical services and uphold the standards of the Commonwealth. They deserve to be able to do their jobs in safety, free from abuse and threats to their person. That is why the government has introduced legislation to protect the people who serve our nation.

The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill will establish a new scheme to safeguard the men and women who deliver essential services to the Australian public. At its core, this is a bill to protect Commonwealth employees against violence, aggression or threats. Such behaviour is not only unacceptable; it is utterly appalling. That is why the Albanese Labor government is acting to ensure that the people who dedicate their working lives to serving the public can do so free from fear or harm.

When Australians walk into a Services Australia office, when they pass through a Border Force checkpoint, when they interact face to face with government staff, they are dealing with everyday people doing their jobs. People delivering essential frontline services, like all of us here, deserve to be safe at work. Yet too often that safety is compromised. Between July 2023 and June 2024 alone, there were 1,694 serious incidents across Services Australia's face-to-face service channels. That is more than four every single day. The incidents included threats, intimidation and assaults. This is not limited to Services Australia. As recently as May this year, two Australian Border Force contractors were assaulted with a bladed weapon while on the job.

Let us be clear. Violence is not acceptable in any workplace, but violence against Commonwealth workers is not just an attack on individuals; it is an attack on our institutions and on the representatives of the government who deal with the public on a daily basis. It undermines the government's ability to deliver services and support, and it cannot be tolerated. That is why, in 2023, the government commissioned the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review, better known as the Ashton review, to examine how to better protect frontline staff.

This bill was born from recommendation 17 of the Ashton review. That recommendation stated:

The current ACT Workplace Protection Order provisions should be adopted for use by the Commonwealth as a staff protection mechanism nationwide.

This stems from a shocking incident—a serious assault on a Services Australia staff member with a bladed weapon in 2023. No worker should ever face that kind of danger while serving the public. It was a wake-up call, a reminder that we must do more to care for our workers. The government responded by agreeing to all 44 recommendations of the Ashton review. This bill gives effect to protections for our Commonwealth workers, ensuring that never again will they be left without the protections they deserve. This bill makes that happen. It turns recommendations into action. It ensures that Commonwealth employees can do their jobs safely and with the confidence that their government stands firmly behind them. Where those opposite ignored the warnings and failed to act, Labor is delivering the protections that our public servants deserve.

This bill is long overdue, and it addresses a clear legislative gap in most state and territory protection order schemes. Right now, in many jurisdictions, if a Commonwealth worker is assaulted, threatened or harassed, they are left to bring an application for a protection order in their own name. That places an unfair burden on the victim, forcing them to front up the legal proceedings as individuals for what is effectively a workplace incident. Under this legislation, affected workers will no longer have to take that step. The Commonwealth itself will be able to bring an application on their behalf. This change does three important things: it protects the privacy of our workers and ensures that they are no longer publicly named in proceedings and exposed to further risks; it reduces the burden and trauma of victims being forced into the legal system to seek protection and closure; and it strengthens and safeguards our Commonwealth workers, making it clear that it is our responsibility to protect our employees as any good employer should.

The Labor Party is the party of workers, and we are the party and government that respects the Public Service. It is important that we show it and that we deliver for the people who serve our nation. That is exactly what we're doing with these workplace protections—backing our workers with actions and not just words. In the last election campaign, we saw those opposite show their disdain for the Public Service by setting an arbitrary figure of 41,000 job cuts. This wasn't based on an assessment of what it would take to implement policy or meet public need. It was based on an ideological aversion to government jobs. It is this same ideology that, over the nine years of coalition government, led to wasteful spending on labour hire companies, outsourcing to big consultancy firms and the hollowing out of the Public Service.

During the last election campaign, those opposite showed their disdain not only for the Public Service but for many working people by saying that they would end working from home for all APS employees. The coalition knew that, had they been successful at the last election and ended up implementing this policy, it would have sent a signal to the private sector that this workplace flexibility would be wound back. It revealed their belief that workers cannot be trusted unless they are under the constant gaze of management. More than that, it revealed how out of touch they are with modern workplaces and modern employees, particularly those with families and caring responsibilities. The Australian people rejected this divisive attack on public servants, knowing that it was an attack on workers who deliver Centrelink, immigration, NDIS, veterans' affairs and so many other critical supports for the community.

In practice, this bill will make it safer, fairer and more secure to work for the Commonwealth. Take a Services Australia officer who was threatened by a client after delivering difficult news about a payment. Today, that officer may have to pursue their own legal remedy, recounting the horrific details, reliving the incident and facing their aggressor in court. Under this bill, the Commonwealth would step in, protect that officer and pursue the order, sending a clear message of deterrence. When I was a public servant, I would hear horror stories from colleagues who were genuinely afraid to deliver news that a client would not accept, because of the repercussions that could follow when someone did not get the outcome they had hoped for. This was heightened by the fact that the matters they dealt with often involved the most desperate of circumstances. The stakes could not be higher, and the burden was too often carried by individual staff with little protection. I can say to my former colleagues with confidence that this bill will make a difference. This will give you the protection, reassurance and pride to do your jobs without fear. It sends a clear message that the government values you and that your safety will never be compromised simply for doing your duty. No public servant should ever fear violence or intimidation for doing their job serving the Australian people.

Debate adjourned.