Coalition Welcomes Parliamentary Workplace Reform
Joint media release with
The Hon Sussan Ley MP
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
Senator Perin Davey
Deputy Leader of the Nationals
7 October 2022
The Coalition welcomes today’s release of the Review of the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984. It is an important step towards making our workplaces safe and respectful.
The Review makes significant and important recommendations on the improvement of Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces, and the relationship between staff and their employers.
The Coalition agrees in principle with all of the recommendations made in the Review and will work with the Government and other parliamentarians towards their implementation.
As we work towards the implementation of the recommendations in the Review, we will work through our processes to ensure that we provide consultation to our parliamentarians and staff.
The Review was commissioned by the Coalition as part of the response to recommendation 18 of Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces, undertaken by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Women, Sussan Ley welcomed the Review and said the Coalition agreed in principle with all of its recommendations.
“We are doing everything we can to make the Parliament an exceptional place to work, and that means ensuring it is a respectful and safe workplace,” Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said.
“I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the Review and look forward to continuing to work with colleagues across the Parliament to build a better parliamentary workplace, so it can be one all Australians can be proud of.”
Senator Davey said any revision of the MoPS Act and employment arrangements needed to recognise the challenges for parliamentarians and staff in regional areas.
“Any new recruitment requirements or human resource management needs to be as applicable in Broken Hill, Deniliquin or Mildura as it is in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne and that is what we will be considering when any legislative changes are proposed.”
Shadow Minister for Finance and Shadow Special Minister of State, Senator Jane Hume said that the Review was comprehensive and provided clarity on the way forward.
“The Review will give the Parliament an opportunity to improve our employment arrangements and make the system stronger for both parliamentarians and their staff. It gives us another part of the blueprint to make our workplaces safer and more respectful,” Senator Hume said.
Senator Hume noted the work of reform for the workplaces needs to continue and this Review would allow that to happen. “While there is a lot more work to do, this Review will be important to completing the other recommendations provided by Set the Standard.”
Senator Hume noted the significant work undertaken by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to complete the Review, and thanked officials, staff and parliamentarians for sharing their experiences to improve Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces.
Support for current and former parliamentarians and staff is available through the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS). The PWSS can be contacted on 1800 747 977, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.