Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 2:04:02 to 2:06:45
Discussion shifts to the estimated costs of setting up the new court, including premises and judicial officers, with the department noting that precise design choices are still being finalized.
Topics: Workplace relations, Government spending
Speakers: Senator Paul Scarr, Simon Duggan, Unknown Speaker, Senator Jess Walsh
Okay. What about cost? Is there any estimate with respect to what this will cost? And again, there was a lot of commentary in relation to the costs involved in establishing the ART at the time on a cost-benefit analysis. Uh have there been any estimates with respect to how much cost is involved in setting up a new court?
So, Senator, the the question of cost comes down to some very precise design details around the court and various options are being worked through at the moment which had different cost implications associated with them. So that is part of the advice around the options that we'll present to government.
Any high level figures?
Uh not at this stage, Senator, no.
Because you understand, Secretary, you've got issues, you you've got to obviously appoint the officers, the judicial officers, you've got to find premises, you've got to establish a registry, uh, all sorts of questions as to whether or not you how you engage with the existing courts in that regard. It's you acknowledge it's an extraordinarily complicated issue.
So I know it, Senator, there are a lot of very practical questions that need to be answered in order to come to a conclusion on for us to be able to put together a robust costing of what the court would be. So we're working through our advice to government at the moment on those precise design choices.
Okay. Will there be any provision in this year's My EFO, do you think?
Uh Senator, that that's a question for the government. Um it comes down to, I guess, a decision by the Treasurer and the Finance Minister about what they would want to represent in their budget papers.
So have you been asked to give advice in relation to that?
Not in relation to whether or not a provision would be made, as far as I'm aware.
Okay. Minister, can I just ask you to take on notice? Uh I understand you're you're representing the relevant minister in this regard. That's correct, isn't it?
Yes.
Yeah. So could you take on notice, please, as to whether or not the minister had any engagement with stakeholders in that period between December 2025, when Mr. Manning kicked off his process of preparing briefs, etc. for the Minister. Uh, if the Minister had an engagement with stakeholders with respect to the establishment of a fair work court uh during that period up to the pointing time of the announcement on 23 July?
Happy to take that on notice, Senator.