QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:21): Again, Senator Allman-Payne, this government does not support employment service providers undertaking action that is unlawful or that is based on fear. That is not how the system has been designed, and that's certainly not how we want to see it being implemented. What I'm advised of is that the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has undertaken significant work to address findings from the Commonwealth Ombudsman and other reviews into the administration of the Targeted Compliance Framework.

The secretary of the department has provided the government with assurance about the department's work to strengthen safeguards and address outstanding issues. Our government's immediate priority is ensuring that the current employment-services system is operating as it should, and that's why we've provided funding to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to introduce additional safeguards in order to strengthen the integrity of the Targeted Compliance Framework.

This work will ensure that every jobseeker's individual circumstances are considered before any compliance requiring decision to be applied— (Time expired)