Business Committee

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the Criminal Code and Other Legislation (Wage Theft) Amendment Bill 2020 over six weeks, receiving 27 submissions and holding a public hearing with witnesses from unions, employer groups, legal bodies and individual workers. The committee recommended the bill be passed and additionally recommended that the conciliation process for wage recovery claims be made mandatory rather than voluntary as originally drafted. The bill followed the committee's own 2018 inquiry into wage theft in Queensland, which estimated over 437,000 Queensland workers were not receiving their full wages, amounting to approximately $2.5 billion stripped from the Queensland economy annually.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the Public Service and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 over approximately two months, receiving nine submissions and holding a public hearing and departmental briefing. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, noting broad stakeholder support for reforms aimed at maximising employment security and promoting permanent employment as the default basis in the Queensland public service. The committee also recommended that the Department of the Premier and Cabinet investigate a mechanism to ensure fairness and transparency when a chief executive fails to make a conversion decision within 28 days.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the Associations Incorporation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 and tabled its Report No. 30 on 21 February 2020. The committee recommended the bill be passed. The committee raised concerns that the explanatory notes did not adequately justify the extension of investigation powers to the Office of Fair Trading under the Fair Trading Inspectors Act 2014, noting this fell short of offering justification for the breaches of fundamental legislative principles involved. The Queensland Government responded with detailed clarification of why the existing powers under the repealed Financial Institutions Code 1992 were inadequate and outlined the safeguards built into the Fair Trading Inspectors Act.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over approximately three months, receiving 23 submissions and holding a public hearing with stakeholders including unions, peak bodies, service providers and the Queensland Law Society. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed. While most submitters supported the portable long service leave scheme in principle, concerns were raised about the clarity of the scheme's scope, the financial impact of the 1.35 per cent levy on employers, and the administrative burden on community services organisations.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over two months, receiving six submissions and holding a public hearing with the Queensland Family and Child Commission and the Queensland Law Society. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding broad stakeholder support for expanding the child death review system to include additional government agencies and establishing an independent Child Death Review Board. LNP members filed a statement of reservation supporting the bill's objectives but criticising the government for taking two and a half years to introduce it after the QFCC report was handed down.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over six weeks, receiving 14 submissions and holding a public briefing and public hearing. The committee recommended the bill be passed, noting that the proposed part-day public holiday on Christmas Eve from 6pm aligned with existing trading hours restrictions and would give workers the right to refuse work or receive penalty rates. Employer groups raised significant concerns about costs to business and potential closures, while unions and employee representatives strongly supported the reform. Non-government members filed a dissenting report opposing the bill.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over six weeks, receiving eleven submissions and holding a public hearing with legal and union stakeholders. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding it appropriately implements twelve recommendations from the Peetz review of the workers' compensation scheme. Key areas of scrutiny included changes to psychological injury definitions, early intervention requirements for insurers, rehabilitation and return to work obligations, and the extension of workers' compensation coverage to unpaid interns.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined this Private Member's Bill, which proposed changes to blue card screening arrangements for Indigenous communities and a significant role for Community Justice Groups. The committee recommended the bill not be passed, finding that the existing blue card reforms already underway — including a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy and Action Plan — were a more appropriate way to address the concerns raised. The committee separately recommended the Attorney-General report on progress implementing the Queensland Family and Child Commission's recommendation for improved support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander blue card applicants.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over several weeks, receiving five submissions and holding a public hearing. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, recognising the urgency of aligning Queensland legislation with the Commonwealth NDIS framework ahead of Queensland becoming a full participating jurisdiction on 1 July 2019. Stakeholders raised concerns about the narrowed definition of 'death in care' and reduced scope of 'visitable sites' for community visitors, but the committee accepted the amendments were necessary for a consistent national approach.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the Health and Wellbeing Queensland Bill 2019 and unanimously recommended it be passed. The committee received 33 submissions and held a public hearing, finding strong support across health, medical, sporting, and community organisations for establishing an independent health promotion agency. The bill followed two earlier parliamentary inquiries into establishing a Queensland health promotion body, and the committee found the governance model, including a skills-based board with cross-government representation, was well designed to lead whole-of-government health promotion efforts.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over six weeks, receiving five written submissions and holding a public briefing and hearing. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding broad support for the creation of a certification framework for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers in Queensland. Stakeholders raised minor concerns about eligibility for teachers in independent schools and early childhood settings, and the lack of a specific power to revoke certification, but the committee was satisfied these could be addressed through regulation or future national policy work.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over approximately three months, receiving ten written submissions and holding public hearings with education stakeholders, legal advocates, and child safety organisations. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding that the reforms to the blue card system -- including the 'No Card, No Start' policy, expanded disqualifying offences, and a new online organisational portal -- were justified by the overriding objective of protecting children. LNP members filed a Statement of Reservation arguing the reforms did not go far enough and were taking too long to implement.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the Mines Legislation (Resources Safety) Amendment Bill 2018 and tabled its report on 8 May 2018. The committee recommended the bill be passed, while also recommending that a definition of 'contractor' be added and that site senior executives be notified of reportable diseases on a confidential basis. The government accepted the first recommendation, and committed to further industry consultation on the contractor definition and reportable disease notification proposals. The committee also flagged concerns about civil penalties, privacy in information sharing with WorkCover, and the impact of non-disclosure agreements on disease reporting obligations.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the Education (Overseas Students) Bill 2018 over two weeks, building on the extensive work of the predecessor committee (ETISBC) which had reviewed the substantially similar 2017 version. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed. It was satisfied that the government had appropriately addressed the ETISBC's concerns about self-incrimination protections, chief executive amendment powers, and the definition of 'parent', and did not endorse the ETISBC's three proposed amendments.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the Education (Overseas Students) Bill 2017 and recommended it be passed with three additional amendments. The committee raised concerns about the director-general's power to amend approvals without prior notification, the definition of 'parent' for confidential information consent, and limits on the use of compelled documents in proceedings. The bill subsequently lapsed when parliament was dissolved, and the government noted the recommendations for any future reintroduction.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the University Legislation Amendment Bill 2017, which amended the governing Acts of Queensland's seven public universities to reduce regulatory burden and modernise governance arrangements following the establishment of the national Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. The committee recommended the bill be passed, and the government welcomed the recommendation.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Bill 2017, which modernised and streamlined the accreditation framework for non-state schools. The committee recommended the bill be passed, with two additional recommendations: amending clause 7 to ensure governing bodies of multiple schools could distribute income across their schools, and correcting a minor drafting error in clause 119. The government accepted all three recommendations.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The committee raised concerns about the transparency of protective security zones, recommending that zone boundaries be published on an integrated Commonwealth Games website in multiple languages. The committee also recommended a formal review of the additional police powers after the Games, similar to the G20 review process. The Government supported all recommendations.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The committee received three submissions and held a public briefing with the Queensland Police Service. The committee made eight recommendations, all of which were supported by the government. Key amendments included protecting child witnesses from cross-examination by self-represented offenders, enabling information sharing with health entities to protect children at risk, and correcting drafting errors in consequential amendments.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the bill but was unable to reach agreement on whether it should be passed. The bill sought to include 17-year-olds in Queensland's youth justice system rather than the adult criminal justice system, bringing Queensland into line with all other Australian states and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Government members strongly supported the bill, while non-government members opposed it, citing the lack of a developed transition plan, uncertainty about costs, and concerns about managing 17-year-olds alongside younger children in detention.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the Grammar Schools Bill 2016, which modernises the governance framework for Queensland's eight grammar schools. The committee recommended the bill be passed with an amendment to strengthen privacy protections for board members' criminal history information. The government supported both recommendations and committed to amending the bill accordingly.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the Gene Technology (Queensland) Bill 2016 and recommended it be passed. The bill adopts a 'lock-step' approach, applying Commonwealth gene technology laws as Queensland law to improve national consistency. The committee received five submissions and found broad support for the reforms, with no dissenting views.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the bill over approximately two months, receiving eight submissions and holding a public hearing. The committee recommended the bill be passed with minor technical amendments to correct a cross-reference in clause 115 and the application of proposed section 288(6)(a) in clause 133. The government accepted both recommendations.

The Finance and Administration Committee (with the report tabled by the Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee) examined the bill, which extends the National Injury Insurance Scheme to cover seriously injured workers. The committee made three recommendations, all supported by the government, focusing on stakeholder consultation for re-entry criteria, parliamentary oversight of the scheme for its first five years, and resolving coverage issues for principal contractors and host employers.

The Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee examined the bill after the referral was varied from the Finance and Administration Committee. The committee did not reach agreement on whether the bill should be passed, with the vote tied three to three. Government members supported the bill, while non-government members filed a statement of reservation citing concerns about cost of living impacts and the government's choice of a hybrid model over a lifetime care model.

The Education, Tourism and Small Business Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed, with six additional recommendations requesting the Attorney-General address various stakeholder concerns during the second reading debate. The bill arose from a statutory seven-year review of the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994, with extensive industry consultation. The government supported all recommendations and agreed to move several amendments during consideration in detail.

The Education, Tourism and Small Business Committee examined the bill, which establishes a Training Ombudsman to handle complaints about vocational education and training in Queensland. The committee recommended the bill be passed with two amendments: adding a public education function for the Training Ombudsman and correcting a numbering error. The Government accepted all three recommendations.

The Education, Tourism and Small Business Committee examined the Jobs Queensland Bill 2015 and unanimously recommended it be passed. The committee also recommended two amendments to improve the diversity of Jobs Queensland's membership: requiring at least one member with direct experience in education, training or employment, and requiring the Minister to have regard to including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and regional representatives. The government supported all three recommendations.