Commonwealth Entities Legislation Amendment Bill 2026

Senator GREEN (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Tourism, Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Assistant Minister for Northern Australia) (13:51): As I said, some of the factors that would be taken into account would be maintaining a safe working environment and protecting the public's confidence. I'm sure you can understand that, if there were an allegation of bullying or, particularly, sexual harassment or something that would not be in line with the APS code of conduct, in the interests of the agency, a suspension would be considered.

It is a power that gives the minister the ability to suspend the statutory office holder, initially only for three months, if it is in the interest of that entity, as I said. Perhaps to pre-empt future questions, for longer suspensions, appropriate safeguards must be in place and link to formal processes that may be underway.