11th May 2023, 5:16 PM – Representatives Jobs and Skills Australia Amendment Bill 2023 - Consideration in Detail - Composition of advisory board

The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with amendments introduced by Farrer MP Sussan Ley (Liberal), which means they failed.

What do these amendments do?

Ms Farrer explained that:

These amendments are designed to alter the composition of the ministerial advisory board outlined in the bill. The coalition does not think it is appropriate to mandate that four positions are dedicated to employee organisations—or, in other words, to the unions. The bill as it stands will ensure that these members are appointed over others we consider more important in this specific context.

Under the arrangements we propose through these amendments, the government would still be able to appoint officials from unions as general members of the board, but no future minister or government would be mandated to do so. In their stead, we believe it is more appropriate that one member represents small business and another two represent regional, rural and remote Australia.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 1, item 31, page 9 (line 28), omit paragraph 16B(1)(c).

(2) Schedule 1, item 31, page 9 (after line 29), after paragraph 16B(1)(d), insert:

(da) 1 member representing small business;

(db) 2 members representing regional, rural and remote Australia;

(3) Schedule 1, item 31, page 9 (after line 32), after subsection 16B(2), insert:

(2A) In appointing the members of the Ministerial Advisory Board, the Minister must ensure that the members include a representative from each State, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.