Binding Declaration Powers for the Commission in Court Session
Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Topics
collective bargaining court procedures employment rights industrial relations labor rights workplace surveillance
Introduced by: The Hon Sophie Cotsis MP (ALP); The Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC (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:
Damien Tudehope LIB
“Before I commence, I have just seen that Henry Kissinger has passed away. I wish I could invoke Henry Kissinger in relation to this debate. I speak on behalf of the Opposition on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. During her second reading speech, the Minister in the other place claimed that introducing the bill fulfilled one of the Government’s major election commitments.”
“I make a short contribution to debate on behalf of the Legalise Cannabis Party in support of the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. In 2016 the Liberal Government transferred the judicial functions of the Industrial Relations Commission to the New South Wales Supreme Court.”
Rod Roberts IND
“I make a brief contribution to debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. I support the bill. Along with my colleague the Hon. Mark Latham, we have argued for quite some time for the abolition of the public sector wage cap. In fact, it was one of the key policies that we took to the last election.”
Abigail Boyd GRN
“As The Greens spokesperson for treasury, finance and economy, for industry, jobs and trade and for work, health and safety, and as a proud unionist, I contribute to debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. This is an important bill. It is a bill that has been a long time coming.”
Mark Buttigieg ALP
“I speak in debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. I start by congratulating the Minister, Ms Sophie Cotsis, for bringing this important piece of legislation to the Parliament.”
Chris Rath LIB
“Like the Leader of the Opposition, I draw a rather long bow here and, on a different type of IR, pay tribute to one of the greatest minds of international relations of all time, Henry Kissinger, who passed away today aged 100. Vale, Henry Kissinger. On a different form of IR, industrial relations, I start by saying that the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023 is incredibly rushed.”
Bob Nanva ALP
“In the limited time available to me in this debate, I will not traverse the many substantive details of the bill outlined by the Treasurer in his speech; nor will I have anywhere near the amount of time I would need to respond to each of the assertions made by the Opposition Whip. However, I make a number of points about the industrial relations context in which the bill is being moved.”
Mark Latham IND
“I spoke on the question of urgency for the bill and made a few points. I have been sparked into a further contribution by the speech of the Hon. Chris Rath, who said that there are not enough productivity measures in the bill. The Liberal Party has more front than Mark Foy’s and more hide then Jessie the elephant to be lecturing the Parliament on that.”
Rachel Merton LIB
“I speak in opposition to the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. What a tawdry situation we face today. The Government has wandered aimlessly through the past six months with no vision and no legislative agenda. Suddenly, with Christmas looming, a hugely consequential bill has been presented to the House with urgency.”
Tara Moriarty ALP
“I speak proudly in support of the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. The bill is simply about the Government’s commitment to improve the lives of working people across New South Wales, particularly our incredibly hardworking public sector.”
Cameron Murphy ALP
“I contribute to debate in support of the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. I thank Minister Sophie Cotsis, who is in the gallery, for introducing this most important piece of legislation to the Parliament. It was a core election commitment of the Labor Party. Despite what the Opposition has said, the bill is all about workers.”
Sarah Kaine ALP
“I place on record my support for the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023 and make a brief contribution to debate. The Minister and my other colleagues have described many of the details. I briefly add my reflections, specifically about the mutual gains bargaining amendments. I was reflecting on an exchange in this House yesterday when I spoke to a motion that the Hon.”
Anthony D'Adam ALP
“I support the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023, which is very important legislation. I make some comments about the overarching agenda behind the bill. Yesterday in the take-note debate, I referred to the importance of institutions to the success of Australia.”
Emily Suvaal ALP
“I join in debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. I begin by commending the Minister, who has done a lot of work in bringing this bill to the House. I thank the more than 400,000 public sector workers in New South Wales for all their efforts, including over the past 12 years of conservative reign, when things were quite challenging.”
Stephen Lawrence ALP
“I add my voice to the chorus of voices in support of the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. It is a historic bill and it is a privilege to speak on it. I commend the work of the Minister, who has been so hardworking and so useful to the caucus in terms of briefings and so forth, and with briefings to stakeholders as well.”
Courtney Houssos ALP
“I make a brief contribution to debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023 and associate myself with the comments made by other Government members. It is an important bill for a Labor government to be introducing. I begin by paying tribute to the Minister for Industrial Relations. I know the Minister’s speech in this place, in response to the previous Government, was very long.”
Greg Donnelly ALP
“I associate myself by making a relatively brief contribution to debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023. It certainly is an historic day today, with the introduction and, I hope, passage of this legislation. There is nothing that my colleagues have said that I do not wish to be directly associated with; let that stand on the record.”
Peter Primrose ALP
“I promised all of my colleagues I would be short, so I will be. Like everyone else, I wish to be associated with the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023 and to publicly indicate my absolute support for it. You sometimes feel particularly proud to be in a particular political party and part of a movement.”
Daniel Mookhey ALP
“I will save my broader reflections and thanks to my side of politics until the third reading stage, but I acknowledge and thank members for the contributions made in the second reading debate. I thank the Hon. Damien Tudehope, the Hon. Rod Roberts, Ms Abigail Boyd, the Hon. Mark Buttigieg, the Hon.”
News articles and press releases
Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023
Ms SOPHIE COTSIS, Minister for Industrial Relations — 2023-11-23
Specifically, the bill finally repeals section 146C of the Industrial Relations Act 1996; adds a new, more consultative mutual gains bargaining approach to allow workers and their unions to engage with government agencies; establishes an industrial relations court that would have jurisdiction to resolve work health and safety matters and other workplace issues; amends section 146 of the Act, "General functions of Commission", to provide that when it is exercising its functions in relation to public sector employees, it must also take into account the New South Wales Government’s fiscal position and outlook; adds an object to the Act to encourage strategies to attract and retain skilled staff where there are skills shortages so as to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of public services; and makes consequential amendments to other New South Wales legislation.