Chapter 2Hearings
2.1This chapter lists the key topics discussed for each department and agency examined during the committee's hearings for Additional Estimates 2023–24. The discussion follows the outcome and agency structure.
Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio – Wednesday 14 February 2024
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
2.2Senator the Hon Murray Watt, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Minister for Emergency Management, represented the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and was joined by Ms Natalie James, Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
2.3The committee commenced its examination of DEWR by considering cross-portfolio, corporate and enabling services, and general matters.
Cross-portfolio, Corporate and Enabling Services, and general matters
2.4The committee discussed the following topics:
Underpayment of staff at the department:
update to internal audit and other measures undertaken since last estimates;
expenses related to the repayment of staff;
use of a communications consultant;
legal advice received; and
correspondence with the Minister;
Call-centre staff raising issues relating to alleged refused breaks and deducted pay for toilet breaks;
Work from Home policy and arrangements;
Arrangements for staff working outside of Australia;
Application of the 'Right to Disconnect' in Federal Departments;
Current head count of APS and non-APS staff in the department; and
Effect of the passing of the Closing Loopholes Bill on the Department.
Outcome 3: Workplace Relations
2.5The committee discussed the following topics under Outcome 3: Workplace Relations:
Working Women's Centres:
opening of closed non-competitive grant rounds;
reasons for delay; and
timeline for open competitive grant rounds;
Shadow Treasurer's, Mr Angus Taylor MP, interview on Insiders, Sunday 11 February;
Right to Disconnect amendment to the Closing Loopholes Bill:
drafting of the amendment;
attempts to remove the criminal penalty; and
implementation in workplaces;
Portable leave entitlements;
Gig economy and employee-like workers;
Process of casual to permanent employee conversion; and
Review of the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Outcome 1: Employment
2.6The committee examined the following matters under Outcome 1: Employment:
Workforce Australia:
Mutual obligations;
Work for the Dole;
repayment of faulty claims by providers;
payment suspensions; and
complaints about providers;
New deed and guidelines of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme:
extensions to paid parity requirements;
stand down provisions;
average hours of work; and
employers withdrawing from the scheme;
ParentsNext program:
replacement program; and
outcomes of consultation.
Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman
2.7The committee called officers from the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman and discussed the following topics:
Underpayment of casual staff at universities:
investigations;
payments recovered; and
current workload of investigations team;
Rates of pay in the black coalmining industry;
Review of the Fair Work Ombudsman report;
Right of entry permits; and
Underpayment of migrant workers.
Fair Work Commission
2.8The committee called officers from the Fair Work Commission and examined the following topics:
Better Off Overall Test;
Exclusion of casuals in the black coalmining industry award;
Right to Disconnect:
resourcing for the new responsibility;
Casual loading; and
Penalties awarded to the Australian Workers’ Union for contraventions of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009.
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Outcome 2: Skills and Training (Including Jobs and Skills Australia)
2.9The committee called officers from DEWR in relation to Outcome 2: Skills and Training (Including Jobs and Skills Australia) and the Chair welcomed Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Education and Assistant Minister for Regional Development, representing the Minister for Skills and Training.
2.10The committee examined the following topics:
Apprenticeship and trainee numbers:
changes between years;
number of female apprentices; and
funding supports for apprenticeships;
Subsidised training programs through the previous Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program;
Skills agreement reporting from states and territories;
Fee-free TAFE enrolments across states and territories;
Special Agricultural Workforce Visa
Appointment of Professor Barney Glover AO as the Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia:
security clearance requirements;
Clean Energy Workforce study findings;
TAFE Centres of Excellence; and
Australian Skills Guarantee.
National Centre for Vocational Education Research
2.11The committee called officers from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research and discussed the following matter:
Commencement and completion rates of apprenticeships and traineeships.
Education portfolio – Thursday 15 February 2024
2.12Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Education and Assistant Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Education and was joined by Mr Tony Cook PSM, Secretary of the Department of Education (the department).
2.13The committee commenced its examination of the department by considering corporate and enabling services matters.
Corporate and Enabling Services
2.14The committee discussed the following matters:
Answers to questions on notice;
Expenditure for meetings that have taken place in restaurants;
Freedom of Information requests:
imposing of charges;
Australian Universities Accord Panel:
payments to members;
‘Be That Teacher’ campaign;
Staff working arrangements:
working on Australia Day;
working from home arrangements; and
office locations.
Outcome 1: Schools
2.15The committee called officers from the department in relation to Outcome 1: Schools and examined the following matters:
Schooling Resource Standard (SRS):
calculations;
resources that can be purchased using the SRS;
new agreement;
private school funding; and
pathway to 100 per cent funding for public schools;
Australian Indigenous Education Foundation;
First Nations students:
repairing and supporting schools on-Country in remote and regional Australia; and
education targets for Closing the Gap;
National School Reform Agreement;
Productivity Commission’s Draft Philanthropy Report recommendations on school’s DGR status;
Productivity Commission's review of the National School Reform Agreement;
Artificial Intelligence Taskforce;
Schools Upgrade Fund:
number of projects in targeted round;
projects at schools; and
open round funding;
Vaping in schools;
Teach for Australia Program:
number of participants in the program;
funding provided by the department; and
retention of teachers in schools;
Studio Schools Australia:
compliance;
financial management and governance; and
construction of schools;
Teacher Codes of Conduct;
Teacher workforce shortages;
Classroom disruption in Australian classrooms:
evidenced-based classroom management techniques;
Domestic enrolments in teacher education courses;
National School Resourcing Board:
state and territory compliance with Section 22A of the Act; and
vacancies on the Board.
Australian Education Research Organisation
2.16The committee called officers for the Australian Research Organisation (AERO) and examined the following topics:
Grattan Institute report ‘The Reading Guarantee: How to give every child the best chance of success’
Guides and resources for teachers;
Evidenced-based teaching methods; and
Publications produced by AERO.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
2.17The committee called officers from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stephen Gniel, made an opening statement reflecting on some of ACARA’s recent work:
…we have recently released the Australian Curriculum. It was only released in 2022, as the committee is aware. That process of implementation is happening right now in different jurisdictions on different timelines. We're really focused, and it follows on from some of the conversations that the committee has had already today on supporting teachers to bring that curriculum to life. A curriculum is words on a page. To take that into life in classrooms is the key work of our wonderful teachers, as the committee has already spoken about. We are doing that already…We also last year, for the first time, ran a national assessment program for literacy and numeracy in term 1. That was a fairly significant change. We're into planning now for 2024, which is next month. So, it's a busy time.
2.18The committee also discussed the following matters:
Acting Chief Executive Officer's previous role in Victoria;
NAPLAN results and support for students with lower performance scores;
Student non-attendance; and
Implementation and compliance with the current national curriculum.
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited
2.19The committee called officers from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited and examined the following topics:
Appointments to the Board;
National Teacher Workforce Action Plan:
measures that AITSL has responsibility for;
Number of registered teachers in Australia; and
Initial Teacher Education data.
Outcome 1: Early Childhood and Youth
2.20The committee called officers from the department in relation to Outcome 1: Early Childhood and Youth and discussed the following topics:
Families better off under the new Child Care Subsidy;
ACCC Inquiry into Childcare:
government response; and
findings and recommendations;
Childcare fee increases:
publishing on Starting Blocks website; and
average fee increases;
Increasing Family Day Care providers:
regional, rural and remote;
Increasing early childhood education and care rates for First Nations families;
Addressing workforce shortages;
Childcare Subsidy Activity Test;
Inclusion Support Program;
National Youth Consultations;
Funding for the Kingston South-East childcare centre; and
Community Childcare Fund.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority
2.21The committee called officers from Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority and examined the following matters:
Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework;
Working arrangements:
staff in the agency;
remuneration; and
location of the office.
Outcome 2: Higher Education, Research and International
2.22The committee called officers in relation to Outcome 2: Higher Education, Research and International and discussed the following topics:
Australian Universities Accord:
final Report; and
update on 5 priority actions from the interim report;
Discussions on an International Student Tax/Levy;
Revenue losses at universities;
Declining university enrolments;
Student debt:
indexation;
total amount of HECS debt; and
affordability;
Cancellation of student enrolments;
Migration Strategy:
International students;
Addressing sexual assault/harassment on university campuses:
draft Action Plan addressing gender-based violence in higher education;
consultation; and
proposal for a Student Ombudsman;
Student accommodation at universities;
Start-up Year Program;
Reprioritisation of funding;
Commonwealth supported places allocated to AUKUS;
Teacher HELP debt program;
Regional University Hubs:
enrolments and completions;
Second certificate enrolments for international students;
Government’s commitment for 20,000 additional Commonwealth supported places.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency
2.23The committee called officers from Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency and discussed the following matters:
Investigation into Swinburne University;
Investigations into student safety and wellbeing;
Risk assessment framework;
Cost recovery implementation; and
Staff travel.
Australian Research Council
2.24The committee called officers from the Australian Research Council and discussed the following matters:
Draft of Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023:
concerns from researchers;
Travel expenditure for the Centres for Excellence; and
Re-drafting of ministerial briefs.
Senator Tony Sheldon
Chair