Patrick Gorman
Perth · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“It was closed by the former Barnett Liberal government and sat vacant for years, but, again, because of decisions of this Labor government, we have homes being built—affordable homes, specialist disability homes. This will bring even more people into Highgate and the wonderful Beaufort Street strip.”
“One of the things I love doing in this place, as I know do you, Deputy Speaker Sharkie, is to bring the words of our constituents into this parliament. After the budget, I received this email from Perth constituent Sebastian, who said: Dear Patrick, I'm writing to actually thank you for standing up for young Australians.”
“What we also know is that those who are doing all the right things—they're working hard, they're saving, they're trying to get their first home—are struggling, and that's where our five per cent deposit program comes in.”
“Every Australian deserves a place to call home, and that is what the Albanese government's budget delivers. Our $47 billion Homes for Australia plan and our budget provide for even more homes, more support to renters and more support for Australians getting into homeownership. In Perth, we're getting on with the job on the ground.”
“It builds on the work that we've done when it comes to the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act, making sure that workers can earn more and keep more of what they earn, and the work we're doing when it comes to those who need more support in our labour market, including the work when it comes to the program we cal…”
“I want to thank all members for their contribution as we consider in detail the important work the government is doing in employment and workplace relations. More jobs, higher wages, lower income taxes—that's what Labor governments deliver and that's what this Labor government is delivering.”
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“One of the things I love doing in this place, as I know do you, Deputy Speaker Sharkie, is to bring the words of our constituents into this parliament. After the budget, I received this email from Perth constituent Sebastian, who said: Dear Patrick, I'm writing to actually thank you for standing up for young Australians. That means a lot as someone who will soon be entering the housing market to buy their first home. You have stood up against all odds and delivered a fair budget and budget that will make long term change for the better. I bet your team and you are receiving countless emails saying this isn't enough or asking to revert the changes, but I want to say this from the bottom of my heart thank you. My partner and I felt the weight lift off our shoulders.”
“What we also know is that those who are doing all the right things—they're working hard, they're saving, they're trying to get their first home—are struggling, and that's where our five per cent deposit program comes in. I recently had a chat to Kate, who's a pastry chef at Miller + Baker, which is a wonderful cafe and bakery in the Perth electorate. She's done everything right, but we know that, when trying to find that path into the housing market, it takes the average Australian 11 years to save for a deposit. I'm pleased that our five per cent deposit scheme is helping people make that final step into the housing market. It has supported more than 300,000 Australians to build or buy their own home, including some 2,058 people in the electorate of Perth.”
“It was closed by the former Barnett Liberal government and sat vacant for years, but, again, because of decisions of this Labor government, we have homes being built—affordable homes, specialist disability homes. This will bring even more people into Highgate and the wonderful Beaufort Street strip. Then, just above the METRONET City Link project, we have the Roe Street development, with another 170 social and affordable homes. All of these projects are happening because of decisions that we have taken in government over the last four years. I also got to see the opening of Common Ground in East Perth, an extraordinary project that helps some 112 people go from the challenges of insecure housing or homelessness into a secure place to call home. That makes a real difference to every single one of those people.”
“Every Australian deserves a place to call home, and that is what the Albanese government's budget delivers. Our $47 billion Homes for Australia plan and our budget provide for even more homes, more support to renters and more support for Australians getting into homeownership. In Perth, we're getting on with the job on the ground. I was at the Pier Street development with the Prime Minister and the Premier of Western Australia just a few weeks ago, seeing 219 apartments that are being built because of the decisions of this government rising 29 storeys out of the ground. Then, further down the road, on Stirling Street in Highgate, we have Stirling Towers.”
“I encourage all Australians to engage in the consultations that are happening across the country and to go onto the department's website and have their say to make sure that we can have an employment services system that serves the Australian people. I commend the portfolio budget to the chamber. Proposed expenditure agreed to.”
“On top of that, we've got our $30 billion National Skills Agreement, free TAFE and programs to help people start their own small businesses through self-employment assistance. Now we embark on the important work of employment services reform. The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations announced this at the National Press Club last week, acknowledging it's major and complex reform. We've put the money in this budget—$312 million—to establish key parts of the new system: a digital service in stream 1, a highly targeted provider-led service in stream 2 and intensive services in stream 3, for those furthest from the labour market.”
“I want to thank a range of members who did the work when it came to supporting parents who face one of the most unimaginable tragedies of losing a child or having a stillbirth. The work that this parliament did last year when it came to the Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya's) Bill 2025, which passed in the parliament on 3 November 2025, means that there is protection for those entitlements for parents at a time of unimaginable grief. I want to thank all members who supported the passage of that through the parliament. We've also seen legislation pass through the parliament to protect penalty rates in law, benefiting some 2.6 million Australian employees, 59.8 per cent of whom are women.”
“It builds on the work that we've done when it comes to the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act, making sure that workers can earn more and keep more of what they earn, and the work we're doing when it comes to those who need more support in our labour market, including the work when it comes to the program we call Parent Pathways—supporting parents back into the workforce and staying engaged in the workforce and close to the labour market so that when their kids are a little bit older they've got the supports that they need. I'm also pleased to report that, as this budget supports, the gender pay gap in Australia is at historic lows. On top of that, this government has expanded paid parental leave and included superannuation on paid parental leave.”
“That accompanies the work that we've done to back increases in the minimum wage. We saw that great news yesterday about a six per cent increase in the minimum wage and a 4.75 per cent increase in award wages. On this side, we welcome that progress. I want to note that, when you look at it, since we've come to office those on the minimum wage have seen a 30 per cent increase in their wages. That's $12,079 more that a minimum-wage worker is taking home for a 38-hour week.”
“I want to thank all members for their contribution as we consider in detail the important work the government is doing in employment and workplace relations. More jobs, higher wages, lower income taxes—that's what Labor governments deliver and that's what this Labor government is delivering. I'll note that those opposite oppose those higher wages, and they oppose those lower income taxes. We are proud of our contribution in supporting the labour market in Australia. There have been 1.2 million jobs created since the election of the Albanese Labor government. That means 1.2 million more opportunities for people to enjoy the benefits of work in this great country, Australia. In the time since the last election, we've seen some 128,000 Australians enter into the workforce.”
“I must say—and I think I speak on behalf of many in this place—I preferred his short suspension speech to his long MPI speech. What I think I admire most about the Leader of the Opposition is how much he goes out of his way to prove Malcolm Turnbull right. It wasn't that long ago that former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was out there saying: 'I mean, the curious thing—what a lot of people say about the Leader of the Opposition is he is the best qualified idiot they've ever met.'”
“This includes regulating the collection and use of marine genetic resources from areas beyond national jurisdiction and a framework for Australia to recognise area based management tools established by the treaty, such as marine protected areas. Australia has engaged in the more than 20 years of discussion and negotiations for this treaty, and we are co-chairing the process to prepare for the first meeting of the conference of the parties. I commend this bill because it is necessary for Australia to (1) ratify the treaty and safeguard the health of our shared ocean, (2) support our thriving ocean economy for future generations and (3) maintain our hard-earned reputation as a global ocean leader. I thank all members for their contributions and I commend the bill to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.”
“It will complement our extensive domestic network of marine parks, which already protects some 52 per cent of our maritime jurisdiction and contributes significantly to the global target to protect 30 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2030. Around 60 per cent of the global ocean is beyond national jurisdiction, but currently only one per cent is protected. This treaty plays an important role in changing that and ensuring peace and stability in our region. It supports the rules based multilateral system, it enhances international ocean cooperation and it strengthens our regional bilateral relationships. The bill creates a regulatory regime to ensure Australian activities are undertaken consistent with this new treaty.”
“As a maritime nation, a healthy and resilient ocean is at the heart of our economy and the heart of our wellbeing. It's part of both our national identity and our national security. We acknowledge in this place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have cared for sea country for more than 65,000 years. Ratifying this treaty will bring real benefits to Australians. It will allow us to fully participate in international decision-making that affects Australians, their lives and their businesses. It will allow us to assist in leading the treaty's implementation in our region and allow us to work with others who seek to support the treaty. It will support both Australian businesses and our world-class research sector by creating a clear and level regulatory framework that puts everyone on an equal footing.”
“As the parliament has heard, this bill seeks to facilitate Australia's ratification of the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, also known as the high seas biodiversity treaty or the BBNJ Agreement. It was adopted by the United Nations on 19 June 2023 after nearly 20 years of negotiations, and Australia was one of the first nations to sign it on 20 September 2023. This treaty creates stronger protections for our ocean. It establishes a regime to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction—that is, the high seas and seabed outside of our maritime borders.”
“It's an honour to sum up the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. I firstly want to thank the members who contributed to this debate. We heard from the member for Tangney about the amazing intelligence of Dolphins, reminding us of all the marine life that lives in our oceans that this bill will protect. We heard the long history of how we've come to this point from the member for Warringah, and I thank her for her support. I also put on record that, to assist the House, the member for Makin and the member for Canberra were both intending to speak but have waived their rights so that we can get this important piece of work done.”
“We've got the gender pay gap at a record low. We've got women's workforce participation at a record high. We've got significant investments in gendered parts of our care economy, including aged care and early childhood education. We've also expanded Paid Parental Leave. There's more to do, but I'm really proud of the progress we're making.”
“Now, the White Australia policy only exists in the history books. The challenge of this generation is to make violence against women part of history, too. The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children has been agreed by every state and territory and the Commonwealth. It aims to end gender based violence within a generation, and the change necessary to make that a reality is happening. I'm proud to be part of a government that has invested some $4 billion to address violence against women. We have legislated 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. We have more than a billion dollars going into crisis and transitional accommodation, including at the Angela Wright Bennett Centre in my electorate of Perth. We have some $9.3 billion going into our National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness.”
“Lucy and James were among just 18 Chinese people across all of Western Australia. In the world in which they lived, discrimination was everywhere, but it wasn't forever. Lucy lived to see her son serve Australia in World War II. She saw citizenship open up to her and her family. She saw her granddaughter graduate from the University of Western Australia. She saw so much progress. She saw Australia become the vibrant, multicultural country that we are. She saw doors open up, but she also saw something that endures with us to this day. Lucy's daughter Ruby was killed, not by a stranger and not by accident. Sadly, it's a story far too common. Ruby's husband killed her. It's the worst form of intimate partner violence and something that continues to this day. Some 1.7 million Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence.”
“Last week was Harmony Week, a celebration of Australia's cultural diversity and the courage, resilience and determination of those who choose to call this country home. Before that, there was International Women's Day. Modern Australia has been shaped by our migrant story. I want to share with this chamber the story of Lucy Lee Wood, a story of absolute courage and how far we've come as a country but also how far we have to go. Lucy Lee Wood arrived in Perth 125 years ago, the year Australia federated. She came from Guangzhou. She was a suspected victim of human trafficking. On arrival in Fremantle, her name was Hop Lin Jong. Within days, she was married to James Lee Wood. He was a butcher in Northbridge and a leader in the very small Chinese community in Perth. The discriminatory White Australia policy had just been introduced.”
“I think that tells you a lot about where we are when it comes to the sad state of some parts of those who, I think, in other times, we would have to rely upon to defend the federation from the lunatic secessionists that exist within the fringes of Western Australia, including in the Western Australian Liberal Party, as I said earlier. It was the WA Liberals who put this through as a policy motion at their conference. I'm happy to fight the Liberals against secession, I'm happy to fight the authors of this tortuous 400-page book about secession, and I'm happy to fight to make sure that we have a government focused on the Australian people, focused on delivering for the Australian people and focused on building Australia's future.”
“I'd note that, actually, industrial disputes are down under this government compared to under the previous government, but there are still some industrial disputes happening in the coalition party room. I think it's a fascinating read, but, having quoted from it extensively, I do think it's appropriate that I recognise that others, including Mr Dutton, said that this is a gratuitous and personal hit job—but it's not a hit job from anyone outside of the Liberal Party. This is a blue-on-blue attack. This is a Liberal-on-Liberal attack. I think it says a lot as well that it did leak out within moments of the attempts from the new leader of the opposition to keep it secret.”
“And then, in case they didn't quite get the message that he wasn't particularly happy with them, he also went on to call them muppets. I think that calling them muppets was what I actually found the most offensive of all, because I was in this place when then prime minister Scott Morrison assured us the 'muppet show' was over. Clearly, the muppet show is still going on the other side. But I do give the member for Canning serious credit for being absolutely upfront with the Australian people about what he thinks of his own colleagues. Of course, clearly, some of those comments might have upset others. We did see comments from a former member of this place, Mr Peter Dutton, who accused the member for Canning of 'going on strike' during the campaign.”
“Sometimes you get someone who actually talks the truth about how they feel about their colleagues. I am, of course, talking about the member for Canning. Now, I have many policy disagreements with the member for Canning. I think he was treated appallingly in some of the backgrounding by the now leader of the opposition's supporters in their trying to push him out of the race. But I would give advice to the member for Canning that, as much as I enjoy him being honest about his colleagues, it might not be a great vote-winning strategy. When you call your own coalition colleagues cowards—they're not my words; this is a comment that the member for Canning posted on his social media, which he spends a lot of time on. He called his own coalition colleagues cowards.”
“In fact, the Liberal Party were so mean that they didn't want Australians to have a tax cut in their pocket this year and they didn't want them to have a tax cut in their pocket next year. It's no wonder that their standing with so many Australians has fallen—as the review itself says, 'persistent concern over the party's standing with young people, women and multicultural Australians'. When it comes to the proposal from the person they've now made their deputy leader, Senator Jane Hume—architect of a policy to end work from home—their own review said it was 'so deeply unpopular' that they had to can it within weeks. There've been a lot of challenges in the Liberal Party and even in the National Party over the last few weeks, but every now and then I give credit to those opposite.”
“They would often tell us about just how good they were when it came to economic management, and you'd see it again on the flyers that the Liberal Party put out in my electorate and other electorates, telling us how they had this great economic plan. What does their own review say about their economic plan? It describes it as 'confused and short term'. So, having had that confused, short-term economic plan, what is the solution that the Liberal Party of Australia come up with? They make the architect of that plan their leader. We now see huge confusion about what it is that the Liberal Party stand for. We know that they stood for higher taxes. We know that the tax cut that's coming in, in just a few months, is a tax cut that they didn't want Australians to have in their pocket.”
“Having received the review for a more empathetic and more modern presentation of leadership, what was the first thing that the Liberal Party did on receiving this review? Naturally, they rolled their leader. I think a word that you see a few times in this review is the word 'incoherent'. That is how they describe their own policy agenda at the last election. It's also how I would describe some of their actions over the last few weeks—and even they themselves. Pretty much every person who still sits opposite put out flyers in their electorates and put out social media that said, 'Here's the nuclear plan, and here's the plan to end work from home.' They all campaigned on it. What did their own review tell them about that? It was 'politically mistimed or alienating'.”
“But it couldn't be lost on me, as I'm sure it's not lost on anyone else in this chamber, that it was at this very dispatch box that a very important document was tabled to the parliament, and I rushed to the table office. They do very efficient work. I got my copy from the table office of tabled parliamentary papers of the parliament, which was the review of the campaign run by the Liberal Party of Australia in 2025. This is a review that the Liberal Party never wanted their own people to see. It tells a story of, in their own words, 'policy failures' and 'lack of a values statement and a comprehensive policy package'. The submissions received were clearly desperate, having experienced such an awful campaign where those submissions 'urged a more empathetic and modern presentation of leadership'.”
“Not only do you lose all of the trade negotiations and all of the defence services, but you lose all those things that people rely on every day. You lose Medicare. You lose the PBS. You lose free TAFE. You lose the school funding deals. And, ultimately, if the secessionists win, Western Australia loses. But I think in this place we can be fortunate that very few people buy into those ideas these days. There have been people of this place in the past who've championed them. Thankfully, we're in a different era, and these views can stay on the fringe, where they belong. I'm proud to be in a government focused on delivery, a government that is focused on delivering for the Australian people and supporting them in practical ways with everything from their household budgets to getting the jobs and opportunities that they want.”
“It's now time for 'metro wet', the ferry service that will ensure that people can get around Perth, including to the electorate of my good colleague the member for Tangney. We've committed some $60 million to make sure that we can get those ferries on the Swan River, and part of that will contribute $10 million to stage 2 to plan the future expansion of the network, hopefully up to Optus Stadium, Maylands, Bayswater and beyond. So that's a little bit about the benefits we have of this federation, where we can do real-world things that make a difference for people every day, and it comes on top of all of those things that you'd lose if you took away the federation agreement and you left the states on their own—or, in the case of Western Australia, left Western Australia on its own.”
“People in my community were devastated when the shot-hole borer meant that we had to tear down hundreds of trees in Hyde Park, but I'm pleased to have announced, alongside the member for Sydney, significant investment in Hyde Park, some half a million dollars to help with the replanting of Hyde Park to make sure that it can be a venue for weddings, birthdays and family celebrations for many years to come. Similarly, if you love the outdoors and you love public transport and you want to bring those two loves together, then we've got significant investments that this appropriation bill will support in supporting expansion of the Perth ferry network. We've done the METRONET train line.”
“That's why we're spending $100 million, working with the WA state government, to build a new forever home for Scitech, making sure the next generation of young scientists and mathematicians can see the amazing careers in the west and experience the joy of understanding a little bit more about how our universe works. If you're more into natural beauty, then come and join me at Hyde Park in the months ahead as we do replanting of our islands and of the banks of the beautiful Hyde Park lakes.”
“If, like me, you realise early in life that maybe footy isn't your thing and your skills maybe aren't going to get you to the top grade, there are outstanding STEM careers in Western Australia. We understand that there are some 247,000 STEM workers in Western Australia, contributing some $87 billion to our local economy. It's one of the driving reasons that this Albanese Labor government is investing in the next generation of STEM workers with a significant investment in Scitech, Western Australia's science education centre. One in three of those STEM workers attribute Scitech as having influenced them to choose a STEM career. We need those workers, and we need people to see the opportunities that are there for the future.”
“In the next decade, Leederville is going to pop, because we're going to see thousands and thousands of new homes built thanks to the planning money we've provided to the city of Vincent. I want to make sure there's a good oval with good changing facilities for the young people who want to play there. As a former—I'm still coming to terms with that!—Auskick coach, I know how great footy is for young people in recognising all their skills and building up not just their sporting skills but their self-confidence. I want to make sure that's available to every young person in my electorate. And I want to thank Mayor Alison Zamon for championing that project and making it possible.”
“I was proudly there at the Angela Wright Bennett Centre, celebrating their first year of operation—again, something that was funded by the Commonwealth, investing in support for women and children leaving violent partners. I'm really proud of the work we've done. I want to commend the now Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and former Minister for Social Services for her championing of that project. Similarly, in the Perth electorate we have a massive investment from the Commonwealth in Leederville Oval, some $1.5 million to make sure that women and girls who play AFL there can get the changing facilities they need so we can use that oval to its full potential.”
“I was there at the WA Cricket Association grounds just the other week, opening the significant redevelopment of the WACA grounds, giving a new community centre for my community in East Perth, along with a fantastic waterslide, buckets to tip water on the kids, a fabulous swimming pool and a new home for cricket in the west. I'm so proud the Albanese government has supported that. I also went to the welcoming of the students at ECU's City Campus on top of the Perth City Link, a project the Prime Minister himself championed, making sure we now have some 10,000 students and education staff in the heart of Perth, revitalising our city, giving young Australians those benefits of education that come from further education.”
“Back then, our trains didn't connect, it was very hard to post a letter from one side of the country to the other, and we clearly were not reaching our economic potential. I don't want to see my constituents left worse off through these nutty ideas of secession, and I look forward to the fight against them. Those on the side of federation have won these fights many times over the years. I note that it was the Liberal Party in Western Australia who in 2017 passed motions urging that Western Australia leave the Commonwealth. That wouldn't have set Western Australia up for the sort of success we're seeing today. In my remarks on this bill I want to talk about what the Commonwealth is delivering for Perth, in my electorate.”
“I am proudly the member for Perth. I'm proudly a Western Australian. I am proudly a federationist. I believe that secession is false hope. It's a fringe idea with real-world costs. And, as we read in the Australian this week, we're seeing in Western Australia a new generation of secessionists launching a 400-page, 15-chapter book entitled Secession by Western Australia . Now, that sounds like a very painful read for anyone—but, I'll tell you, nothing compared with the pain of separating Western Australia from the federation. As you look around the world in 2026, now is not the time for idiotic ideas like secession. Global conflict is a sobering reminder that Australia is stronger together. One hundred and twenty-five years ago this year, we federated to make sure we were better off together than we were as separate colonies.”
“Combining the three statutory reviews within a broader review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces will provide an opportunity to examine these acts in a holistic way and ensure the frameworks continue to be fit for purpose. It will also ensure the frequency of future periodic reviews of the PWSS Act and the PBR Act to allow them to be combined or conducted separately. I commend the bill. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment. Federation Chamber adjourned at 17 : 36”
“She highlighted that we want 'dignified workplaces, sustainable work conditions, and a well-functioning parliament and democracy' and this will deliver that and allow people to put forward ideas about how we have those intersecting acts fit for the future. In conclusion, the Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2026 would amend the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023, the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 and the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 to allow the statutory reviews of these acts to be combined as part of a holistic review of systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces.”
“Those workplaces weren't somewhere else; those workplaces were here. This is about ensuring that we do indeed set the standard. As the member noted, this is about that next step of cultural change, something that you never stop doing as there's always room for more improvement. Probably the most accurate thing I heard in the debate was 'it is technical legislation', and this definitely fits that description well. But it's technical legislation that enforces our commitment to improve this workplace and to improve our democracy, as the member for Sturt outlined so well. When we are spending money, we have to ensure that it is in the public interest, as she said.”
“I note that the member for Moreton also rightly pointed out that this is about helping members and their staff navigate those complex frameworks and giving them a chance to have a say on how we can ensure they are fit for the future. The member for Maribyrnong noted that some 4,000 people work in this building every day. Each of them in this workplace, like any other workplace, has the right to come to work safely and to go home safely—something I know you have much of your life standing up for, Deputy Speaker Garland. This is the home of Australia's democracy, and it's in all our interests to want that democracy to function as best it possibly can. And we've heard some of the stories, as the member for Maribyrnong reminded us, where we had 'the lived experience of staff who'd endured toxic workplaces'.”
“It's my joy to sum up the excellent contributions to the debate on the Parliamentary Frameworks Legislation Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2026. First, we had the member for Moreton, who reminded us where so much of this work came from—the power imbalances and poor culture that we've seen in this building for too long and that had been highlighted in the nation's media and in the nation's newspapers. We had the Set the standard report, which gave clear direction for this parliament. This was embraced and acted upon. We've made good progress, but we still have very complex interacting frameworks, and that is what this bill seeks to address.”
“Conclusion In summary, this bill will enable the statutory reviews of the PWSS Act, PBR Act and MOP(S) Act to be conducted as part of the broader review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces, which will consequently be able to commence from 23 March 2026. The bill will also align the timing of the future periodic reviews of the PWSS Act and the PBR Act to allow them to be conducted concurrently, combined or separately. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.”
“The PBR Act already requires a statutory review every five years, from 2 August 2022. The bill will make minor amendments to this provision to align the timing of future PBR Act reviews with future PWSS Act reviews. That is, the bill will require ongoing PBR Act reviews to be conducted as soon as practicable from 23 March 2031 and every five years thereafter, rather than each fifth anniversary of 2 August 2022. This will provide future governments the flexibility to combine the statutory reviews of the PWSS and PBR acts or to conduct them separately.”
“Alignment of future statutory reviews of the PWSS Act and PBR Act Review of the PWSS Act within the 48th Parliament is timely and appropriate, given this government's substantial reforms to Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces in its first term. However, a statutory review every parliamentary term will deliver diminishing benefits following the inaugural review and will not allow sufficient time for the implementation of any prior review recommendations and maturing of associated changes to administration before a subsequent review must be conducted. The bill will therefore amend the PWSS Act to extend the frequency at which its periodic statutory review must occur—from each parliamentary term (as currently), to as soon as practicable from 23 March 2031, and every five years thereafter.”
“Incorporating the PWSS Act, MOP(S) Act and PBR Act statutory reviews within the broader review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces will enable an integrated examination of these statutes. This approach will remove the risk of contradictory outcomes and reduce 'review fatigue' for parliamentarians and their staff. However, the existing legislated timeframes prevent a contemporaneous review: The bill will amend the PWSS Act, MOP(S) Act and PBR Act to allow these reviews to be combined as part of the broader review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces, which will be able to commence as soon as possible from 23 March 2026.”
“Since 2016-17 significant reforms have fundamentally reshaped the parliamentary ecosystem, including: The implementation of Set the s tandard further led to: A holistic review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces Review of the progress of implementation of Set the standard reforms and the statutory reviews of the PWSS Act, MOP(S) Act and PBR Act are due within the current parliamentary term: Combining these reviews within a broader review of the systems and frameworks that govern Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces provides an opportunity to examine how the recent reforms are maturing in a holistic way—in particular, to ensure the ecosystem and its supporting legislative frameworks continue to be fit for purpose and accord with community expectations.”
“The MOP(S) Act establishes the legislative framework for parliamentarians and officeholders to employ people on behalf of the Commonwealth. The PWSS Act established the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, known as the PWSS, to provide centralised human resources and other employment related support to parliamentarians and their staff. The PWSS Act later established the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, known as IPSC, to independently and impartially investigate conduct in breach of the parliamentary behaviour codes.”
“The parliamentary ecosystem comprises a nexus of legislative frameworks governing the provision of resources to parliamentarians, the employment of their staff and the services and supports to enable parliamentarians to perform their democratic role. The administration of these frameworks is the responsibility of a number of entities, with support provided to parliamentarians and their staff across the country. The PBR Act established the legislative framework for the provision and use of public resources by parliamentarians in connection with their parliamentary business. The provision of staff to assist parliamentarians with their parliamentary business is governed principally by two acts: the MOP(S) Actandthe PWSS Act .”