Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move the amendment circulated in my name:

At the end of the motion, add: "and, in respect of:

(a) the Customs Tariff Amendment (Geelong Treaty Implementation) Bill 2025, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 27 February 2026; and

(b) the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025, the bill be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 March 2026".

And just to aid the chamber, the amendment to Senator Grogan's motion has two parts. One is that the Customs Tariff Amendment (Geelong Treaty Implementation) Bill 2025 be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 27 February 2026, and that the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025—which I do note for the chamber is actually a private senator's bill standing in the name of Senator Barbara Pocock—be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation committee for inquiry and report by 26 March 2026.

In regards to that second matter, I will very briefly say that we are disappointed that, as we understand, the chamber is not going to support that amendment today. It has been a precedent in this Senate that, unless there are extraordinary reasons why a private senator's bill should not be referred for an inquiry, that private senators' bills are referred to an inquiry. We intend to continue to prosecute our case that the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025 be referred to an inquiry. It is a critical issue. And being a private senator's bill, I express in advance our ongoing disappointment should the Senate continue to block this private senator's bill from going to an inquiry.