Richard Dowling (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today also to support this bill, and I am honoured to present my reflections on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This is a bill that speaks directly to the safety of those public servants who serve our communities with professionalism and compassion. Public service is not just a vocation; it's a privilege. That service must ensure dignity and safety. Between July 2023 and June 2024, frontline Public Service staff faced some 1,694 serious incidents across Services Australia's face-to-face service channel alone. These incidents included threats, aggression and violence. They're not mere statistics. They are harm against people who are doing essential work, workers helping Australians to access benefits, assistance and emergency support. When these staff are put at risk, our entire Public Service is weakened and we as a community are weaker.

This workplace protection orders bill builds upon the Ashton review's recommendation 17, which called for the adoption of an ACT-style protection order scheme for Commonwealth workers nationwide. Under the bill, agencies can apply for protection orders when a worker has suffered personal violence in the course of their duties and there remains a real risk of further harm. This measure is both compassionate and sensible. It preserves the dignity of public servants and allows agencies to act quickly and decisively.

If we look at some of the key features within the bill, firstly, it broadens definitions and coverage. The bill uses the term 'Commonwealth worker' in a very broad sense. That means it's inclusive of contractors, volunteers, security staff and all of those who are working under instruments such as the parliamentary staff acts. It also ensures protections extend beyond formal workplaces to other areas, such as adjacent parking lots, homes or even online encounters.

Secondly, the bill reduces the burden on individuals by allowing an authorised agency person to apply on behalf of a worker. That provides speed, efficiency and emotional relief for the affected worker. The difference is measured in hours instead of days. The staff member is protected without having to manage the process themselves—a huge relief.

The third feature is that the courts retain the discretion to issue orders specifying no-contact conditions, location prohibitions and any tailored restrictions that are deemed necessary, provided they ensure due process and rights are balanced.

Fourthly, it's a critical provision that mandates that service access must be preserved—even for those subject to orders, with courts required to ensure alternative, safe means of access for services to remain available at all times.

Finally, the bill includes a provision for review of its operation three years after commencement, which is sensible. It allows for assessment of outcomes and future improvements.

Let's begin by just recalling a simple reality. Frontline Commonwealth workers are the face of government for millions of Australians. They are the people who answer the door when tragedy strikes—when someone's lost their job, lost their home or just lost their way. They are the people who sit behind Centrelink counters, passport desks, call centre phones and mobile service vans across the country. They are not just administrators; they are listeners, fixers and responders, and sometimes, tragically, they become targets. When these workers face intimidation and violence, we're not just witnessing a failure of individual conduct; we're seeing a failure of systems to shield those who shield us.

That is why this bill matters so much. It moves from a reactive posture to a proactive and protective one. It allows agencies to act swiftly and legally to prevent harm. More than that, it embodies a value of our great Australian Labor Party: the dignity of work. Labor has always stood for the dignity of work—not just the right to work but the right to work in safety without fear. This bill is a natural expression of that core value. It affirms that the right to feel safe at work is not limited to police or emergency services; it extends to the often unseen but essential workers within our federal Public Service.

Secondly, it's about a fairer and safer society. Labor believes that government must serve the people, but it must also safeguard its own workers from systemic risk. That is what fairness means in practice—protection for the vulnerable and accountability for the aggressive. This bill does not vilify frustrated clients. It does not punish protest. But what it does is draw a clear legal line between expression and abuse and between discontent and violence. Drawing that line is overdue and necessary. It also recognises that workplace violence is not abstract. It's often gendered. It is sometimes racially motivated. It disproportionately effects women, casuals and younger staff, many of whom are employed in frontline public service roles. In that sense, the bill is also a gender equality measure and a diversity protection measure.

It's also about empowering our public institutions. Labor has always believed in the power of strong public institutions. We see the government not as a burden but as a mechanism for equity and compassion. Our institutions must be strong and responsive. They must be agile enough to address emerging threats like rising aggression in an age of social stretch, digital disconnection and declining trust. The bill gives institutions the legislative tools they need to act without needing to wait for police intervention or personal legal action.

I'll say this: no worker should have to navigate the court system just to feel safe at work. This bill lifts that burden and puts it where it belongs, with the institution itself. It's also about evidence based reform. Labor has governed through listening. This bill was born of that principle. It's a direct response to the Ashton review, which made it clear that Commonwealth workers are facing unacceptable levels of risk and that a legislative solution is needed. We didn't ignore that advice; we acted. We acted not with a blunt instrument but with precise, considered legislation, modelled on the ACT framework, adapted for national needs and balanced against legal rights.

It's also about public sector leadership. The bill reinforces our belief that the public sector should lead by example. We cannot in good conscience call on the private sector to improve their workplace safety if our own agencies are left exposed. We cannot push for domestic violence protections while ignoring workplace harassment of our own. So the Commonwealth must be a model employer. It must set an example, and this bill is a necessary step towards that goal.

The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill declares that work should be free from fear and that our public servants deserve both legal protections and political recognition. This bill reflects those values that we hold dear as a labour movement—respect for work, compassion for people, belief in institutions and trust in evidence—so I commend this bill to the Senate.