Mr WILLIAMS (Attorney-General) (12:01 PM) —I move:

That the amendment be agreed to.

The government proposed this amendment in the Senate in the light of opposition concerns about the terms and conditions of staff who are to be transferred to the Australian Government Solicitor when it commences operation as a new statutory authority outside the Public Service Act. The amendment provides that officers and employees transferred to the AGS under section 81C of the Public Service Act 1922 are to be employed on terms and conditions no less favourable than applied immediately prior to their transfer.

The government and the AGS have always envisaged that the current AGS staff who transferred to the new statutory AGS would not be prejudiced by their transfer. We expect this to occur under a combination of mechanisms, including a new certified agreement for AGS staff and regulations made under superannuation and maternity leave legislation. In this respect I can inform the House that the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Government Solicitor, Ms Rayne de Gruchy, has been travelling throughout the country to meet with staff and to get their input into what will be in the new AGS certified agreement.

The government anticipates that staff will be able to vote on a new agreement some time in May this year. In these circumstances, the government has no difficulty in making express provision in the bill for the protection of AGS staff in the terms of the amendment now before the House. I commend the amendment to the House.