Courts Can Make Workplace Protection Orders for Commonwealth Workers and Fines or Jail for Breaking Them
Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025
House of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Topics
criminal penalties domestic violence employment rights privacy public safety victim privacy worker protection workplace health and safety
Introduced by: The Hon Tony Burke MP (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Tony Burke ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. When Joeanne Cassar set out for work on a chilly Melbourne morning in May 2023, the mother and grandmother of six had no idea her life was about to change forever.”
Julian Leeser LIB
“I rise to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This is the second piece of legislation to come before this parliament in the wake of the horrific attack on a Services Australia employee who was just doing her job.”
“The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025 has at its heart a desire to provide legal protections for workers and workplaces in the Commonwealth space, to deter acts of violence and to deter other harmful behaviours by members of the public. It is a direct result of the unfortunate increasing risk of harm being faced by Commonwealth workers on a daily basis.”
Mary Doyle ALP
“I rise today in strong support of the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This bill introduces new legislation and with it a new national scheme designed to provide Commonwealth workers with the safety, dignity and protection they deserve in the course of their duties.”
“You will see the signs when you take the car through the drive-through to pick up take-out on the way home. You will see the signs when you sit in the doctor’s office waiting to go in to see the GP when you’re sick. You will see the signs as you go through the check-out to buy your groceries on a weekly basis.”
Gabriel Ng ALP
“I am proud to speak on this bill as a former public servant. It is too little acknowledged that, without public servants, governments of any persuasion would grind to a halt. Public servants make up the majority of the executive arm of government, one of the three pillars of our democratic system. We rely on them to provide frank and fearless advice, deliver services and engage with the public.”
Alison Penfold NAT
“I wish to support the intent and measures within the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. Everyone is entitled to work in a workplace that is as safe as possible, and Commonwealth public servants can be in situations where their safety can be compromised.”
Shayne Neumann ALP
“I’m very pleased to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. I think that one of the best campaigns I have seen in relation to industrial relations in the last decade was the campaign done by the SDA, the Shoppies union, which was called No One Deserves A Serve.”
“I thank the member for Blair for his eminently sensible comments in this regard, and this parliament will do the right thing as far as this legislation is concerned, whilst I appreciate there is a lot going on outside of this building. There are cost-of-living issues.”
Matt Gregg ALP
“I rise today to speak in support of the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This bill will provide legal protections for Commonwealth workplaces and workers and deter acts of violence and other harmful behaviours by members of the public.”
Anthony Chisholm ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— When Joeanne Cassar set out for work on a chilly Melbourne morning in May 2023, the mother and grandmother of six had no idea her life was about to change forever.”
Andrew Bragg LIB
“I rise to speak on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This is the second piece of legislation to come before this parliament in the wake of the horrific attack on a Services Australia employee who was just doing her job.”
Ellie Whiteaker ALP
“I rise today to speak in strong support of the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. We often talk about workplace safety in the context of mining sites, construction sites or heavy industry, but we’re here today because, even in Commonwealth offices, the risk of violence is very real. As Joeanne Cassar set out for work on 23 May 2023, she thought it would be like any other day.”
Richard Dowling ALP
“I rise today also to support this bill, and I am honoured to present my reflections on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This is a bill that speaks directly to the safety of those public servants who serve our communities with professionalism and compassion. Public service is not just a vocation; it’s a privilege. That service must ensure dignity and safety.”
Josh Dolega ALP
“I thank the other senators, and members in the other place, for their remarks and their strong support of the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. Some may know that I am a former public servant. I worked at the Australian Taxation Office for 15 years, and, following that, I was an employee of the Community and Public Sector Union—the union that represents public sector workers.”
Jess Walsh ALP
“I thank my colleagues and senators across the chamber for their contributions to this debate on the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. This bill will strengthen protections for Commonwealth workers and Commonwealth workplaces, where workers and visitors are at an increasing risk of violence and aggression while at work.”