Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026
Senator POLLEY (Tasmania) (17:03): I rise to speak in support of the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026. This is an important bill, a practical bill and, above all, a bill that continues the work of building a fairer, safer and more productive economy for working Australians. It is a bill I'm proud of, as a Labor senator here in this place.
It is a bill which reflects the values that have always motivated the labour movement in this country. We on this side of the chamber know that, when you work hard, you deserve decent pay, a decent and secure job, a safe workplace, dignity on the job, a fair go and a fair say over the conditions under which you work. At the outset, I want to acknowledge the work of Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth.
Minister Rishworth understands that workplace relations are about whether a worker can pay the bills, whether a parent can balance work and care, whether a woman is paid fairly, whether a truck driver is protected from unfair treatment, whether a young worker gets a genuine start and whether people can get to work and come home safe. These are fundamental things that we, on this side, the Labor Party and the labour movement believe in—unlike those in the new coalition of One Nation, the Liberals and the Nationals.
One Nation believes—and we haven't heard anything to the contrary from those opposite—that a boss should be able to sack their workers whenever they want and that women on maternity leave should not be paid. That's the view of that new partnership on that side of the chamber. We, this government, in our first term, have made a number of reforms when it comes to industrial relations—significant changes to the Fair Work Act which commenced almost two decades ago.
After too many years in which wages were deliberately suppressed, job insecurity was normalised and loopholes were allowed to flourish under those opposite, this government set about repairing the system. Those reforms were guided to promote job security, to advance gender equality, get wages moving again, improve safety and close loopholes that had undermined fairness in the workplace.
They were reforms grounded in the lived experience of Australian workers and informed by a simple proposition: when work is fairer, our economy is stronger and our people are happier. We should say that clearly in this place. And none of this has happened by accident.
Improvements in pay and conditions have always come because working people organised, unions advocated, Labor governments legislated and communities demanded something better. From the eight hour day to paid leave, superannuation, unfair dismissal protection and equal pay advances, the labour movement has been the great reforming force for fairness at work in Australia—always has been; always will be.
This bill stands in that tradition. It is not a departure from that history; it is the next chapter in it. While the Liberal Party implodes and One Nation gains a foothold in our political system, I think it's important to reflect, on this side of the chamber, on what we, as a government, believe in: that is, delivering for every Australian.
With this bill, the government builds on its first term reforms with a package of practical measures to improve the operations of the workplace relations system and support more cooperative and productive workplaces. That's what we need: the workplaces that are working with their bosses to actually improve our production and strengthen our economy. That matters, because a good workplace relations system must do two things at once.
It must protect workers from unfairness and exploitation, and it must provide practical, efficient pathways for employers and employees to resolve disputes, bargain in good faith and get on with the job of building productive enterprises. First, the bill contains a set of important measures to help the Fair Work Commission more effectively perform its vital functions.
The commission is our national workplace relations tribunal. Workers and employers turn to it for dispute resolution, protection of rights, oversight of bargaining and practical decisions that affect people's daily lives. If we want a fairer workplace system—which we do—then the commission must be equipped to do the work efficiently and effectively.
This bill supports that by reducing procedural rigidity, streamlining administration and giving the commission sensible tools to manage its workload, while preserving substantive protection for workers. These measures are consistent with the government's objective of ensuring that justice is accessible, timely and real rather than delayed, costly or needlessly rigid, without the ability to have your dispute resolved in a such a manner that no-one is going to be disadvantaged.
The bill will remove the requirement to hold a formal hearing simply to determine whether an application in a general protections matter has or has not been dismissed before the commission can seek to resolve the dispute. Instead, the commission will be able to conduct a conference to try to resolve the matter. That is a commonsense change.
It saves time, reduces expense and also avoids forcing parties into unnecessary litigation. The bill will also allow the president of the commission to delegate certain functions to commission staff, including issuing certificates where parties have made reasonable attempts to resolve a general protections dispute without success. The bill gives the commission discretion, with the consent of the parties, to determine appropriate matters on the papers.
It strengthens the commission's power to deal with vexatious and frivolous applications. It allows unfair terminations and unfair deactivation applications to be dismissed where they are frivolous, vexatious or have no reasonable prospect of success. It streamlines supported bargaining authorisations where there is already an existing supported bargaining agreement covering the same or substantially the same group of workers and employers.
These are measured reforms, but they will make a very real difference. These are practical, measured reforms that will make the whole process for the commission and also workers and employees much more sensible. Secondly, the bill supports good-faith bargaining.
That is vital. The government inherited a bargaining system that had become badly weakened. Enterprise bargaining had declined dramatically, and with that decline came weaker wage growth, poorer workplace engagement and fewer opportunities for workers and employers to negotiate arrangements that reflected the needs of their industries and workplaces.
We know that was the whole purpose of what those opposite did when they were in government. The government's first-term reforms helped reinvigorate bargaining by reducing barriers and restoring confidence in the system. This matters because bargaining, done properly, is one of the most effective ways to deliver fair and good wage increases, better conditions, workplace flexibility and productivity gains.
It is not and should never be a barrier to economic success; it is one of the foundations of it. When our economy is strong, all Australians benefit from that. The measure in this bill that allows the Commonwealth's spending, where appropriate, to preference employers with enterprise agreements negotiated in good faith and genuinely agreed is a sensible and constructive step.
It recognises that public money should help support decent labour standards, secure jobs and fair conditions. It does not create a blanket obligation, and it will continue to operate alongside value-for-money requirements and established procurement rules. But it sends an important signal that government purchasing power should help encourage cooperative workplaces, lawful conduct and fair outcomes for workers.
That approach is also being considered through the Secure Australian Jobs Code, which aims to ensure government expenditure supports safe, secure and well-paid jobs. Thirdly, the bill contains an important reform for the road transport sector. In 2024, the government introduced protections in the Fair Work Commission for truck drivers and small road transport businesses against unfair contract terminations and unfair contract terms.
That was an important recognition that road transport workers and owner-drivers often operate in high-pressure commercial arrangements, with significant issues around time management and pressures to deliver in unrealistic timeframes. The existing high-income thresholds have not been fit for purpose for many road transport contractors, because their gross income can be inflated by very substantial operating costs such as fuel, maintenance and vehicle expenses.
This bill addresses that problem by enabling a separate road transport contractors' high-income threshold to be established, which will allow hardworking truckies and small road transport businesses to access protections that were intended for them. This is a practical change, and, for many people in the industry, it will mean the difference between having a remedy and having nothing.
I'd like to put on the record thanks to the mighty Transport Workers' Union and, in particular, Michael Kaine, the national secretary, for his steadfast advocacy and passion for trucking and road transport workers; my very good friend Senator Glenn Sterle, a former truckie and official of the TWU; our industrious, mighty Tony Sheldon, who sits in this chamber with us and knows only too well the difference that these changes are going to make to that industry; Senator Jana Stewart; and my good friend Senator O'Neill.
We understand what having fair wages, a safe working environment and a strong economy does for Australians, and that's why we on this side will always look out for Australian workers. Fourthly, the bill makes a targeted amendment relating to the administration of the construction and general division of the CFMEU. We know that those opposite are absolutely obsessed with the CFMEU.
The government took the strongest possible action in legislating for the appointment of an administrator. That was a serious step in response to serious concerns, and it reflected the principle that no organisation is above scrutiny and no worker should have their interests undermined by misconduct, criminality or corruption. The amendment in this bill simply provides an appropriate timeframe for the administrator to prepare and submit to the minister a biannual financial report while leaving the content and scope of the reporting obligations intact.
It is a practical measure to support effective administration and proper accountability. Finally, the bill supports the operations of the important tripartite advisory bodies in the workplace relations system. This matters because cooperation is not just a slogan; it is a method.
When government, employers and workers come together through a structured tripartite mechanism, policy can be better informed, more practical and more durable. That's what this bill is about. But we know those opposite, with their new arrangement with One Nation, will want to rip out all the changes that we've brought in since we came into government, such as improving workers' pay and conditions.
They will rip that up because they will join forces with One Nation, and one of the few policies One Nation has actually voiced is that they want bosses to be able to sack workers more easily. I say shame on you. Australians will reject that each and every day.