Tasmanian child safety bill used as ‘cover’ to erode workers’ rights, MP warns

MERCURY 4 SEPTEMBER 2026

Legislation intended to protect children from abuse includes provisions that unreasonably reduce privacy and erode the ability of state servants to participate in political activity, non-government MPs claim.

The Commission of Inquiry (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill was debated in the House of Assembly on Thursday.

Independent MP for Clark Helen Burnet says some of the changes in the bill remove privacy protections from hundreds of thousands of Tasmanians and reduce the workplace rights of public servants.

“I will support every part of this Bill that is genuinely about protecting children.

“What I can’t support is the Government using a child safety bill as cover to erode people’s privacy and workplace rights.”

Ms Burnet said the Bill will relax the protection of personal information held by government agencies, effectively allowing any agencies to share Tasmanians’ personal information – for various purposes that are not linked to child safety.

And she said changes extending State Service disciplinary reach from conduct “in the course of” employment to conduct “in connection with” employment was opposed by public sector unions.

“This is a significant change that further blurs the line between work and private life.

“State servants will have to ask themselves, of almost everything they do outside work, whether it could be seen as connected to their employment.

“These changes will have a chilling impact on every state servant and their participation in political and civic life.”

Ms Burnet further criticised a change making “efficient” and “effective” service enforceable Principles of the State Service.

“What does that have to do with protecting children? I believe the Government is cynically introducing this under cover of a child safety bill, and that is disgraceful.”

Labor’s Jess Greene also expressed her concerns.

“When we combine this stronger language in the bill before us today about an apolitical State Service with that broader test of conduct in connection with employment, I think workers are entitled to ask what that means for them,” she said.

“I also ask that the Attorney-General confirm clearly that these amendments are not intended to prevent state service employees from expressing political views, participating in political activity, or engaging in legitimate union activity in their private capacity.”

Attorney-General Guy Barnett said the government was aware of the concerns.

“Frankly, the bill improves and provides better protection for children and young people in Tasmania.

“It improves information sharing across government departments and ensures strong accountability across our public institutions and our public service.”

Mr Barnett said the government had heard feedback from unions on the bill.

“Unions representatives raised a number of issues including that of the changes unnecessarily broad with impact unfairly on employees lives outside of work and will not address the issues raised by the commission of inquiry,” he said.

“Ultimately, this feedback did not result in substantial changes to the way the bill is implementing the Commission of Inquiry recommendations.”

Debate on the bill will continue later in the year.