Newsletters 2023

The 47th Parliament has one of the largest crossbenches in Australian history, and this week has shown how important our independent voices can be.

With the end of year fast approaching, the Government has been pushing for a vote on its "Closing Loopholes" Bill of Industrial Relations changes, which will establish new definitions and standards for casual and gig economy workers.

Since this Bill was first introduced in September I have been working with Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke, policy experts, business owners, employees and recruitment agencies across our community to ensure any reforms are good for both employers and workers. I've already had a number of local employers come and see me and say: "We don't want to risk falling foul of this... I'm just going to bring a family member back in to do that job rather than employ a separate casual." It’s a delicate balance to maintain, and we need to get this right.

On Wednesday I proposed an amendment to avoid potential unintended consequences for recruitment agencies that frequently employ or deploy temps, and supported several other amendments that would have strengthened the Bill and alleviated community concerns. Unfortunately, without these amendments, I did not feel I could support the Bill as it stood, and alongside my crossbench colleagues, I had to vote against it.

North Sydney's Private Members Bill to impose limits on immigration detention in Australia was introduced to Parliament on Monday. You can read the full text of the Bill and a transcript of my speech here. I also had the privilege of joining the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and several other refugee advocacy groups in calling for a Royal Commission into Australia’s Immigration Detention regime. Our parliamentary petition for a royal commission closes on 13 December; if you would like to add your name, please do so here.

Meanwhile, our work to push for faster action on climate continues. On Monday, I spoke against a motion moved by the Opposition to halt industrial-scale renewable energy projects. While the motion criticises these projects for what it claims to be 'significant land clearing and invasive construction', it is silent on the destruction already wrought on our environment by fossil fuel projects. Yes — we must ensure renewable projects meet environmental standards, but this must not be used as a tool to delay Australia's clean energy transition.

I also questioned the Government on its promised fuel efficiency standards, which have yet to be delivered. With global average temperatures now 1.4 degrees above pre-industrial levels, time is fast running out for us to achieve the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degree target, which means we're staring down the barrel of more extreme climate events ahead. We need to do more, and we need to do it faster.

Here's to being the change that we want to see.

- KT

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

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IN THE NEWS

Calls for royal commission into immigration detention - Canberra Times, 28 November. Kylea has backed calls for a comprehensive investigation of Australia's long-standing bipartisan immigration detention policy.

Push to limit immigration detention, ban detaining kids - Canberra Times, 27 November. Kylea has introduced a private member's bill to reduce the time the government can hold someone in immigration detention to 90 days, as well as banning authorities from detaining children.

Labor faces crossbench revolt over 'rushed' IR laws - The Australian, 27 November. Kylea has asked for more time to consider Labor's "Closing Loopholes" industrial reforms, as rushing the legislation through the chamber could have unintended consequences on small business and the economy.

More media mentions here.