Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I have some information from the minister here, and those aspects of Senator Sheldon's question which I can't answer directly I'll take on notice and return to the Senate with further information. But it is fair to say that the coalition government has made it quite clear that we don't have any tolerance for exploitation in Australian workplaces, and we have taken definitive action to protect vulnerable workers.

For example, we accepted, in principle, all 22 recommendations of the Migrant Workers' Taskforce, and are building in measures already introduced to protect vulnerable workers. In our 2019-20 budget, the government also committed over $10 million, almost $11 million, to enhance the capability of the Fair Work Ombudsman to crack down on law-breaking by unscrupulous businesses, and that's on top of the coalition having provided the Fair Work Ombudsman with greater powers and over $34 million in funding over the past couple of years to focus on protecting vulnerable workers. That increase in funding will allow the Fair Work Ombudsman to continue to level the playing field for law-abiding employers by taking strong action against those who exploit their workers. It also means the Fair Work Ombudsman will be better able to meet the information and education needs of both migrant workers and employers, ensuring the migrant worker community also better understands their workplace rights.