Thursday, 20 November 2025

 The ACTING SPEAKER (Nathan Lambert) (16:47): I have received a message from the Legislative Council agreeing to the Restricting Non-disclosure Agreements (Sexual Harassment at Work) Bill 2025 with amendments.

Ordered that amendments be taken into consideration immediately.

Message from Council relating to following amendments considered:

1.   Clause 8, lines 21 to 22, omit “before the complainant enters into the agreement, the complainant acknowledges” and insert “before entering into the agreement, each party to the agreement acknowledges”.

2.   Clause 10, line 15, after “agreement” insert “and acknowledgment”.

3.   Clause 10, line 19, omit all words and expressions on that line and insert “of –

(a) the signed agreement; and

(b) the acknowledgement referred to in section 8(1)(e).”.

4.   Clause 16, line 26, omit “complainant” and insert “parties to the agreement”.

5.   Clause 25, lines 28 to 31, omit “a complainant acknowledges that the following preconditions of a workplace non-disclosure agreement have been met” and insert “each party to a workplace non-disclosure agreement acknowledges that the following preconditions have been met”.

 Nick STAIKOS (Bentleigh – Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Local Government) (16:48): I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

Firstly, I want to thank all members of both houses of the Parliament for the way in which they have approached this debate, the respectful way in which they have approached the debate on the Restricting Non-disclosure Agreements (Sexual Harassment at Work) Bill 2025. This bill is about giving victims of sexual harassment a voice, and the other place has made some amendments. They are amendments that alter the requirement from the complainant being required to sign a form acknowledging the preconditions have been met to all parties to the agreement acknowledging it. The complainant would also receive a copy of the signed agreement. This was a suggestion from the Working Women’s Centre Victoria, and it has been accepted to ensure a greater layer of accountability on employers to ensure preconditions are met. Again, I acknowledge the constructive, compassionate and sensitive way in which members have approached this debate and indeed the constructive way in which amendments were put in the other place. I commend the amendments to the house.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (16:49): I rise to speak on the Restricting Non-disclosure Agreements (Sexual Harassment at Work) Bill 2025 amendments made by the Legislative Council. I just very briefly wish to acknowledge the amendments before the chamber, which expand the bill from originally seeking the approval of the complainant to more broadly now, through amendment, the parties involved in the matter. Those amendments were moved by Animal Justice in the other place. We supported those amendments, and in this place we will do the same. I also want to acknowledge the shadow minister Richard Welch in the other place, who has done an incredible amount of work as a new shadow and has worked very collaboratively on the bill. The coalition will not be opposing that amendment today.

Motion agreed to.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Nathan Lambert): A message will now be sent to the Legislative Council informing them of the house’s decision.