Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, as you are aware—I think your question relates to the foreign affairs and trade entities because, under the bill, only suspension provisions are there for those entities. So I'll just address those particular entities. The suspension power is being introduced to enable the relevant minister to suspend the relevant statutory office holder when it is deemed to be in the interests of the agency. The suspension power will be available for the statutory office positions of the CEO of Austrade, the CEO of ACIAR—and I'm sure there's a jazzier way to say 'ACIAR'—and the Director of Safeguards. This is part of a broader effort to ensure that any misconduct can be promptly addressed to ensure integrity and accountability. This will aid in maintaining a safe working environment and protect the public's confidence in the relevant entities' operations.