Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment

“The principle behind this bill is straightforward. If workers have earned their long service leave, they should be able to have access to it. If they have spent years contributing their skills, effort and dedication to an industry, that service should be properly recognised. This legislation strengthens the Coal Long Service Leave Scheme, improves compliance and ensures that more workers are connected with the entitlements they deserve, because fairness in the workplace is not just a principle we talk about in this place; it's something we must continue to deliver in practice for working Australians each and every single day.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak in support the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. This bill amends two pieces of Commonwealth legislation: the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Administration Act 1992 and the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Payroll Levy Collection Act 1992. The amendments address two matters that have arisen over the time in the operation of the portable long service leave scheme for the black-coal mining industry. The first concerns historical levy liabilities that have accumulated following disputes about the scope of the scheme. The second concerns the operation of the additional levy that applies where levy payments are made late. Each of these matters goes directly to the integrity of the scheme and to the ability of workers to access entitlements that the law provides.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“This bill is grounded in fairness, practicality and respect for working people and those who employ them. It acknowledges the central role of coalmining regions like mine, the mighty Hunter. It supports employers to do the right thing. Most importantly, it ensures that workers, the men and women who have given so much to this industry and our country, can access the long service leave entitlements that they've earned. As the daughter of a coalminer and as a proud representative of the Hunter, I really want to commend this bill to the House, and I want to thank those people who get up early in the morning, go to work and don't go to bed until very late or work through the night. It is a hard job in the coal industry. No-one denies how hard it is. It's still full of risk, but it's also full of good reward, and it's something that each one of us in this place can feel proud of, not only because of the employment it provides the people of Australia but because of the wealth that it provides our nation as well. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“No miner should lose an entitlement simply because a folder went missing or a company disputed its obligations. This is a good reform. It is about doing right by the people who did right by their industry. But fairness must also have a structure behind it, a system strong enough to protect workers not just today but for decades to come. That's why this bill also restores the additional levy, a key compliance tool designed to ensure employers pay their levies on time. We know that, for too long, this penalty has been tied to an outdated interest rate which the Reserve Bank no longer publishes, meaning it no longer discourages late payments the way it was meant to. Without timely payments, the system weakens and when the system weakens, workers suffer. By updating the additional levy to align with the current Reserve Bank cash rate, the bill ensures that compliance is meaningful again and not just symbolic. It sends a clear signal that long service leave is not optional, not negotiable and not something that can be delayed without consequence. When employers meet their obligation, the entire system grows stronger. When the system grows stronger, workers are finally protected.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“The legislation is part of Labor's long tradition of standing up for workers and fixing broken systems so entitlements are real, not just words on paper. I am proud to support this bill. I am proud to stand up for coalminers and I'm proud to represent a community that have built this country with their hands, their backs and their sacrifice. Labor will always stand up for working people. We will always back the Hunter and we'll always back coalminers. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I rise in support of the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill. At the outset, I'd like to say that, while this bill is meaningful for me as a representative of an outer metropolitan seat in Forde, at first glance it may seem unusual that somebody from outside a coalmining town is passionate about this, but there's a few reasons—three reasons, in fact—why this is particularly important to me at both a personal and a political level.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“At the outset, on this bill, let me be very, very clear, long service leave is not a perk. It is a recognition of loyalty, endurance and years of hard—and often physically demanding—work. In the coalmining industry, where workers frequently move between employers while remaining in the same industry doing the same jobs, that portable long service leave is an essential part of their wellbeing. Without it, workers lose entitlements simply because the structure of their industry requires mobility, and this legislation makes sure that that does not happen. The coalmining industry long service leave scheme has existed for decades, underpinned by the simple principle that coalminers should not be penalised for the way that their industry operates. This bill strengthens that very principle and modernises the scheme to ensure it remains sustainable, fair and fit for purpose now and into the future.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“Long service leave reflects the simple idea that loyalty, dedication and years of service should be recognised. This bill ensures that recognition is not lost because of technical disputes, incomplete records or historical uncertainty. It restores the connection between workers and the entitlements that they have earned, and that, all Australians would agree, is a commonsense approach. On that note, I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I thank the Senate for the indication of support for the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. I'll just make a very brief comment. The bill is about delivering fairness and certainty for workers in the black-coal mining industry and supporting employers. The bill creates a practical, time-limited pathway for employers to resolve unpaid levies so that workers can access their lawful entitlements without delay. The bill also introduces an effective penalty for late levy payments that promotes employers' timely compliance with their obligation and contributes to the Coal Long Service Leave Scheme's long-term sustainability.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 02 July 2026

“The coalition supports this bill because its practical, balanced and noncontroversial reforms provide certainty for workers, certainty for employers and stability for an industry that has helped build modern Australia. At its core, this legislation establishes a voluntary pathway for employers to repay historical debts relating to unpaid portable long service leave levies in the black coalmining industry. I come from a state that proudly has the largest single deposit of brown coal in the Southern Hemisphere—500 years worth, on current usage rates—but this bill is dealing specifically with the resources in New South Wales, Queensland and other states.”

Liberal Party • MP • 28 May 2026

“I want to be clear from the outset that the coalition will support this bill. We support it because at its core it's about fairness for the people who do the heavy lifting for this country. It's about ensuring that a worker's history isn't lost in the overburden of administrative errors or legislative confusion. However, our support is not a blank cheque. While we're prepared to help clear the path for these amendments, we have serious concerns about the legacy of mismanagement that has brought us to this point, and we have even deeper concerns about how this government intends to manage the resources sector moving forward.”

Liberal National Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. From the outset, I make it clear that the opposition will be supporting this bill because it's both noncontroversial and pragmatic. It resolves longstanding uncertainty and provides fairness to employers who have acted in good faith, and preserves the integrity of the coal long service leave scheme for the workers who rely on it.”

Liberal Party • MP • 10 Mar 2026

“The bill was amended in the House by the government following the Senate inquiry, and the opposition supported the government's amendments. The opposition supports the passage of this bill. We support black-coal mining workers and want to protect their entitlements while keeping the businesses that employ them viable. The bill should go towards delivering certainty, stability and fairness while strengthening the confidence of the Coal LSL Scheme.”

Liberal Party • Senator • 02 July 2026

“This bill is rewarding delinquent employers by giving them a discount when they pay. They get a discount for being delinquent and underpaying their levy. There has been such a mess made in coal long service leave for so long, and such shoddy governance, but we're informed that the miners would rather have some certainty on this being resolved hence giving the company the 20 per cent discount on entitlements that they must pay in order to have this resolved—otherwise it could drag on for years. We are listening to miners.”

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party • Senator • 02 July 2026