Supplementary Explanatory Memorandum
(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher)AMENDMENTS TO THE PARLIAMENTARY WORKPLACE SUPPORT SERVICE (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2023
GENERAL OUTLINE
1. These amendments would amend the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023 (the Bill) to insert provisions to provide for the repeal of the review function conferred on the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) two years after the commencement of the PWSS.
2. The amendments effectively operate as a sunset provision, to ensure that the review function is only conferred on the PWSS as an interim function, pending the establishment of the proposed Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (IPSC). The Australian Human Rights Commission's Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces recommended that an IPSC is established to operate a formal complaint, investigation and enforcement mechanism to deal with complaints about alleged non-compliance with codes of conduct applying to parliamentarians and their staff, and standards of conduct applying to Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces.
3. Once the IPSC is established, it is intended that the PWSS would no longer perform the review function.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
4. These amendments have no financial impact.