This bill became law on Nov 9th, 2022.
Education & skills
Australia abolishes the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. by repealing the law that created that office.
Australia needed Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning.’s work to start immediately while consultation on its permanent model was still underway, making the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. setup redundant. This bill abolishes the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. and shifts its funding to the new Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. body as it begins.
The National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. had been in place since 2020 as the Commonwealth’s skills advisory office, but by 2022 ministers and MPs were pointing to acute skills shortages and broader economic challenges that demanded a body with a wider workforce-planning role and closer cooperation across employers, unions, governments and training providers. The bill responded by abolishing the commissioner as Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. was set up on an interim basis, using the old office’s funding to get the new body operating immediately, and Parliament passed the change later that year.
The main criticism was that abolishing the National Skills Commission risked becoming a cosmetic rebrand unless Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. had a clear structure, real industry input and stronger safeguards against politicised or one-sided decision-making. These concerns were raised mainly by Coalition speakers who still let the bill pass, with some crossbenchers also seeking clearer functions for regional and tertiary sectors rather than opposing the bill outright.
Brendan O'connor MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 09 Nov 2022
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.
Passage speed
105 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
Australia abolishes the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. by repealing the law that created that office.
The repeal starts at the same time Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. begins, so the old national skills advisory office ends as the new body starts.
Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. is funded from the savings made by abolishing the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. role, rather than from extra Commonwealth spending.
Repeal the Act.Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) Act 2022 final Act text
At the same time as the Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022 commences.Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) Act 2022 final Act text
Jobs and Skills Australia will be funded from savings realised by abolishing the role of the National Skills Commissioner.Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) explanatory memorandum
Context
The National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. had been in place since 2020 as the Commonwealth’s skills advisory office, but by 2022 ministers and MPs were pointing to acute skills shortages and broader economic challenges that demanded a body with a wider workforce-planning role and closer cooperation across employers, unions, governments and training providers. The bill responded by abolishing the commissioner as Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. was set up on an interim basis, using the old office’s funding to get the new body operating immediately, and Parliament passed the change later that year.
National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. is established
The commissioner began operating as the Commonwealth's national skills advisory office, creating the structure this bill later abolished.
Hansard ↗Skills shortages become a visible economic problem
MPs described employers in fields from hospitality to aged care struggling to find trained staff, adding pressure for stronger national workforce planning.
Hansard ↗Government introduces the repeal billA bill that cancels an existing law or part of a law; here it is the part of the package that removes the old commissioner. with Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning.
The minister said repealing the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. Act was necessary to replace the old advisory model with Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. and start a more strategic approach to future workforce needs.
Hansard ↗Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. is presented as an interim body while consultation continues
During debate, the government and opposition both noted that the new agency was being started before its longer-term structure and remit were fully settled.
Hansard ↗Parliament passes the bill
Both houses agreed to the repeal, clearing the way for the commissioner’s functions and funding to be folded into Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning..
Parliamentary timeline ↗Royal Assent ends the old statutory office
Royal Assent turned the bill into law so the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. Act could be repealed as Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. began.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Referred to Committee (28/07/2022): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Committee report (08/09/2022)
Referred to committee
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that abolishing the National Skills Commission risked becoming a cosmetic rebrand unless Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. had a clear structure, real industry input and stronger safeguards against politicised or one-sided decision-making. These concerns were raised mainly by Coalition speakers who still let the bill pass, with some crossbenchers also seeking clearer functions for regional and tertiary sectors rather than opposing the bill outright.
No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, but some support was cautious and conditional.
Rebrand without enough substance
Several Coalition speakers argued the bill mostly abolished one body to rename and rebadge it as Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning., without enough detail on how the new agency would work or improve outcomes. They warned the change could amount to window dressing unless it was backed by a serious skills policy and practical implementation.
Risk of narrow or politicised advice
Critics said the new agency should not become dominated by unions or shaped too narrowly by government preferences, and warned it needed strong business and industry input. The concern was that workforce planning could become less balanced and less useful to employers if the replacement body did not preserve broad consultation and independence.
Gaps in the new body's remit
Some crossbench supporters argued the bill should define the new body's role more clearly, especially for rural, regional and remote Australia and for universities and the broader tertiary sector. Their concern was not with creating Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. itself, but with whether its functions were complete enough to guide national workforce planning.
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
O'Connor supports the bill, saying repealing the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. Act is part of the path to creating Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. and a more strategic approach to future workforce needs.
Read in Hansard ↗McCormack supports the bill, saying he hopes it succeeds because it will help create opportunities for young people and Australians and support more manufacturing in Australia.
Read in Hansard ↗Haines supports the bill and wants Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. to improve evidence-based workforce planning, especially for regional Australia.
Read in Hansard ↗Mulino supports the bill, saying it is an overdue reform that will create Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. and replace the National Skills Commission with a broader, more strategic advisory body.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
11 speakers · 12 contributions · 11 support
“I think it's also important to put on the record that in this first tranche of legislation Jobs and Skills Australia will replace the functions undertaken by the National Skills Commission and will expand on those functions to include a broader and more strategic focus.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I support these bills, the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill 2022 and the Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) Bill 2022. On National TAFE Day, I want to thank the students, teachers and trainers in my electorate, particularly at places like Bundamba TAFE in the south-west.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This is just the beginning. I could go on about the importance of skills. It's an area which is close not just to my electorate but to many electorates. It's an area where there are lots of answers, but now it's time for action. We do need to get working if we're going to address the skills crisis that we're having in our country. The crisis is a handbrake on our productivity and hurts our recovery from the pandemic. I strongly encourage everybody to support this bill and to reach out to workers and give them hope, to reach out to businesses and give them hope, that we will work with them to solve these issues.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I absolutely support this bill, and I encourage the House to give it its full support.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“We have plans on every front, including this bill establishing Jobs and Skills Australia as an incredibly important part of the future—an independent agency that will provide advice to the government on Australia's current, emerging and future labour markets. It will provide advice on the necessary workforce skills and training. The body will work closely with state and territory governments, with industry employers, with unions and with providers to ensure a shared understanding of the key issues facing Australia's labour market.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“What Jobs and Skills Australia will do is make sure that these fee-free TAFE places provided by the federal and state governments are targeted towards skills shortage areas.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is a beginning, which is why I am pleased that this bill lays the foundation for second-stage legislation for a permanent structure and governance arrangements that are informed by employers, unions and education providers. That's what we need—a tripartite approach to skills and training supported by a government committed to addressing Australia's current, emerging and future labour market needs and delivering on the policies to meet those needs.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Albanese government, and the Prime Minister and Treasurer in particular, have shown their ability to bring people together from across our economy and society, and I commend these bills as the first step in addressing our jobs and skills shortage and allowing Australia and all of its people to achieve their full economic potential.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I commend this Bill to the chamber.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Our government will do what we can to make sure that the White paper on full employment will be released next year so that we can prepare society for good jobs. It's in our DNA as a government to support the aspirations of all workers to find secure and meaningful work. We are the Labor party, it's in our DNA and I commend this legislation to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Brendan O'Connor on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
O'Connor supports the bill, saying repealing the National Skills CommissionerThe old Commonwealth skills advisory office that this bill abolishes and replaces. Act is part of the path to creating Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. and a more strategic approach to future workforce needs.
“The creation of Jobs and Skills Australia will contribute to ensuring we deliver on this important goal, and repealing the National Skills Commissioner Act is a necessary part of the pathway forward.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Brendan O'Connor supports the bill and says Australia needs an independent body to identify skills shortages and guide training decisions more effectively. He argues the new arrangement should be broader than the National Skills Commission and better informed by industry, unions, states and territories.
“We need to act now. The initial creation of Jobs and Skills Australia will enable the essential work that's needed to find solutions to these skills and workforce challenges to start as soon as practicable.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
6 speakers · 7 contributions · 6 support
“I hope the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill 2022 and the Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) Bill 2022, if passed, succeed, because we want those opportunities, particularly for our young people. We want those opportunities for Australians. We want to make more goods here. We want Australia to be the best it can be, and if this legislation helps then that's all well and good.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise to speak on the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill 2022. The coalition understands that this legislation will become law and we will be supporting the bill. However, in my second reading contribution I want to acknowledge the significant deficiencies that have become apparent in the legislation that is being looked at before the Senate.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“As I said earlier, we do have concerns that this legislation is nothing more than a rebranding exercise. We want to make sure that there's more substance and less spin in relation to this. The coalition are intending on supporting this legislation based on the limited information that we've been provided with.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“But, in good faith, we are not standing in the way of the rebranding in this bill. This will be a great episode of Yes, Minister one day. Nonetheless, we are not here to prevent your rebranding. Good luck with the logo and the website, '.gov.au'—all of those things; you can do all of that. But, please, at some point, I hope this government takes seriously the genuine challenges that we've got in skills. On that basis, I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“While we accept that this bill will pass, I will be keeping my eye on the details that, hopefully, will be released soon. We know just how vital jobs policy is for the strength of our economy, and I really hope this Labor government get it right for once.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Sussan Ley on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Ley says the coalition wants the bill to succeed, but argues the new agency should not become a union-dominated rebrand of the National Skills Commission and warns Labor has not explained how it will work. She supports the skills policy goal while criticising the government for replacing an existing body that was already doing good work.
“We want this agency to succeed because, if it hits the mark, Jobs and Skills Australia will play an important role in the skills system. We know this because, right now, the NSC plays a vital role. If Labor are intent on abolishing a body doing good work for another body that could do good work, any failures, any bad outcomes, any delays to the progress we were making, will all be on their heads.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Ley says the opposition will not block the bill and will let it pass, but will keep a close watch on Jobs and Skills AustraliaThe new body this bill creates to advise government on jobs, skills, training and workforce planning. because she fears Labor may cut skills funding and mishandle the system. She argues the bill should build on the previous government's reforms and not erode the National Skills Commission's work.
“So whilst we accept that the bill will pass, we will be keeping a watching brief on Jobs and Skills Australia, because we know just how vital skills are for the strength of our economy and we desperately want the Labor government to get this right—for once.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
3 speakers · 2 support · 1 mixed
“Unfortunately, though, I must say that this bill repeats a mistake from the initial National Skills Commission legislation from just two years ago which I will seek to rectify. I will move an amendment to the bill to include an additional function of JSA to provide specific advice to the minister and secretary in relation to skills, issues, training and workforce needs in rural, regional and remote Australia.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“So I do support this bill on the understanding of the need to enact an interim measure with detail on a permanent model to follow.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise to speak today in support of the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill 2022. I support this bill because it will provide a plan and a road map at a time of great challenges, change and opportunity.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Senate · Committee of the Whole debate
Committee of the Whole debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Committee report (08/09/2022)
Referred to committee
Referred to Committee (28 July 2022): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Committee report (8 Sept 2022)
APH bill page notes
