Strengthening Protections for Queensland Workers Amendment Bill 2026

Introduced: 13/5/2026By: Hon S Fentiman MPStatus: Discharged

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Plain English Summary

Overview

This bill implements workplace anti-discrimination reforms that were passed by the previous government in 2024 but indefinitely delayed. It strengthens Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Act by adding new protections against sex-based harassment and hostile work environments, expanding the attributes protected from discrimination to include homelessness and domestic violence, and requiring employers to proactively prevent discrimination rather than just respond to complaints.

Who it affects

Workers and job seekers gain new protections against workplace harassment and hostile environments. Employers and businesses must take active steps to prevent discrimination or face investigation and compliance action by the Queensland Human Rights Commission.

Key changes

Employers must proactively prevent discrimination and harassment (positive duty), not just respond after complaints
New protections against sex-based harassment and hostile work environments, separate from existing sexual harassment laws
New protected attributes including homelessness, subjection to domestic or family violence, physical appearance, and expunged conviction
Vilification protections expanded to cover age, disability, and sex, including online conduct and social media
Complaint timeframe extended from one year to two years, and the Queensland Human Rights Commission gains new powers to investigate systemic discrimination and issue compliance notices

How this affects you

Work & Employment

•Employers must take active steps to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace, not just respond after complaints are madeClause 25 (new Chapter 5C)Introduces a positive duty requiring persons conducting a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate discrimination, sexual harassment, and harassment on the basis of sex.
•Workers are protected from sex-based harassment and hostile work environments, separate from existing sexual harassment lawsClauses 18 and 22Creates new prohibitions on harassment on the basis of sex (unwelcome demeaning conduct) and subjecting a person to a work environment that is hostile on the basis of sex.
•Workers experiencing homelessness or domestic violence gain protection from workplace discriminationClause 6Adds homelessness and subjection to domestic or family violence as protected attributes under section 7 of the Anti-Discrimination Act.
•Workers have two years instead of one to lodge a discrimination complaint with the Queensland Human Rights CommissionClause 29Amends section 138 to extend the complaint period from one year to two years after the alleged contravention.

Justice & Rights

•Vilification protections now cover age, disability, and sex alongside existing protections for race, religion, and gender identityClause 21Replaces the racial and religious vilification provisions with broader protections covering age, gender identity, impairment, race, religion, sex, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation.
•The Queensland Human Rights Commission can investigate systemic discrimination patterns affecting groups of people and publish reportsClause 38 (new section 173B)Allows the commissioner to investigate contraventions that are systemic (affecting a class or group of persons and continuous, repetitive or forming a pattern) and publish reports.
•People can lodge discrimination complaints based on the combined effect of multiple attributes, recognising intersectional discriminationClauses 6 and 7Adds a combination of two or more attributes as a protected attribute and provides that discrimination includes the combined effect of multiple attributes.

Bill Story

The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.

▸Introduced13 May 2026View Hansard

▸1 procedural vote

Vote to grant leave

Defeated38 ayes – 52 noes2026-05-13

Permission was refused.

A vote on whether to grant permission — for example, to introduce an amendment or vary normal procedure.

▸Show individual votes

Ayes (38)

Asif(Australian Labor Party)

Bailey(Australian Labor Party)

Berkman(Queensland Greens)

Bolton(Independent)

Bourne(Australian Labor Party)

Boyd(Australian Labor Party)

Bush(Australian Labor Party)

Butcher(Australian Labor Party)

Dick(Australian Labor Party)

Enoch(Australian Labor Party)

Farmer(Australian Labor Party)

Fentiman(Australian Labor Party)

Furner(Australian Labor Party)

Grace(Australian Labor Party)

Howard(Australian Labor Party)

J. Kelly(Australian Labor Party)

Katter(Katter's Australian Party)

King(Australian Labor Party)

Knuth(Katter's Australian Party)

Linard(Australian Labor Party)

Martin(Australian Labor Party)

McCallum(Australian Labor Party)

McMahon(Australian Labor Party)

McMillan(Australian Labor Party)

Mellish(Australian Labor Party)

Miles(Australian Labor Party)

Mullen(Australian Labor Party)

Nightingale(Australian Labor Party)

O’Shea(Australian Labor Party)

Pease(Australian Labor Party)

Power(Australian Labor Party)

Pugh(Australian Labor Party)

Russo(Australian Labor Party)

Ryan(Australian Labor Party)

Scanlon(Australian Labor Party)

Smith(Australian Labor Party)

Whiting(Australian Labor Party)

de Brenni(Australian Labor Party)

Noes (52)

B. James(Liberal National Party)

Baillie(Liberal National Party)

Barounis(Liberal National Party)

Bates(Liberal National Party)

Bennett(Liberal National Party)

Bleijie(Liberal National Party)

Boothman(Liberal National Party)

Camm(Liberal National Party)

Chiesa(Liberal National Party)

Crandon(Liberal National Party)

Crisafulli(Liberal National Party)

Dalton(Liberal National Party)

Dillon(Liberal National Party)

Doolan(Liberal National Party)

Dooley(Liberal National Party)

Field(Liberal National Party)

Frecklington(Liberal National Party)

G. Kelly(Liberal National Party)

Gerber(Liberal National Party)

Hatcher(Liberal National Party)

Head(Liberal National Party)

Hunt(Liberal National Party)

Hutton(Liberal National Party)

Janetzki(Liberal National Party)

Kempton(Liberal National Party)

Kirkland(Liberal National Party)

Krause(Liberal National Party)

Langbroek(Liberal National Party)

Last(Liberal National Party)

Leahy(Liberal National Party)

Lee(Liberal National Party)

Lister(Liberal National Party)

Mander(Liberal National Party)

Marr(Liberal National Party)

McDonald(Liberal National Party)

Mickelberg(Liberal National Party)

Minnikin(Liberal National Party)

Molhoek(Liberal National Party)

Nicholls(Liberal National Party)

O’Connor(Liberal National Party)

Perrett(Liberal National Party)

Poole(Liberal National Party)

Powell(Liberal National Party)

Purdie(Liberal National Party)

Rowan(Liberal National Party)

Simpson(Liberal National Party)

Stevens(Liberal National Party)

Stoker(Liberal National Party)

T. James(Liberal National Party)

Vorster(Liberal National Party)

Watts(Liberal National Party)

Young(Liberal National Party)

First Reading13 May 2026View Hansard

▸Committee13 May 2026View Hansard

Referred to Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee

Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committeeportfolio

6 members

Committee Report

Second Reading

Referenced Entities

Sectors Affected

Public Administration Civil Law Criminal Law

Classified using AGIFT/ANZSIC Australian government standards