Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make two additional quick points that have come up.

Oppositio n senators interjecting—

Well, one you'll want.

Leave granted.

Thank you, colleagues; I'm sorry to do this again. The first one was a referral to the Procedure Committee for the structure of the Fridays, which Senator Ruston and others had requested. I've signed that letter, so that's done, just to let you know. So we'll have discussions about the routine of business for the day. On the second point, which was raised by Senator Pocock about Fridays, and acknowledging the issues that have been raised, Set the standard wasn't just around being family friendly; it was also around hours of work. By having an extra working day, we are hopeful that we can reduce the requirement for senators to work 16- to 20-hour days and sit extended hours, which has directly contributed to a poor workplace culture for staff, which we are trying to address.