Senate Division 1 · 27 Aug 2025

Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Small businesses

Negatived 27 aye · 33 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading amendment, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). The amendment was introduced by NSW Senator Maria Kovacic (Liberal)

Amendment text

Omit all words after "That", substitute:

"(a) the Senate notes that:

(i) Australian small businesses have been hit with a new compliance burden almost every month since the Albanese Labor Government came to office,

(ii) evidence shows that small business owners spend 15 hours per week on compliance instead of running their business,

(iii) the Albanese Labor Government has refused to prepare a Regulation Impact Statement for this bill and has no idea how many small businesses are going to be affected by this increased burden, and

(iv) instead of developing a clear and focussed plan to address the needs of small businesses within the economy, the Albanese Government seems intent on only applying a larger regulatory burden on them; and

(b) further consideration of the bill be made an order of the day for the first sitting day after the Government tables a Regulation Impact Statement assessing the impacts of the bill".

Context written by They Vote For You volunteers (ODbL), reproduced unchanged.

Second reading: The second reading vote decides whether the chamber agrees with the bill in principle. A second reading amendment attaches commentary or conditions to that agreement without changing the bill's text.

Related bills

Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	1	22
Liberal–National Coalition	20	0
Australian Greens	0	11
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	3	0
United Australia Party	1	0
Jacqui Lambie Network	1	0
Independent	1	0

Every vote

AYE (27)

NO (33)

Divisions this sitting day

Every division the Senate held that day, in order; the one on this page is marked.

Division 1 Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Small businesses Negatived Senate 27–33
Division 2 Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Work from home Negatived Senate 11–33
Division 3 Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Small businesses Negatived Senate 8–34
Division 4 Committees — Environment and Communications References Committee; Reference Negatived Senate 27–35
Division 5 Committees — Environment and Communications References Committee; Reference Carried Senate 39–23
Division 6 Documents — Age Assurance Technology Trial; Order for the Production of Documents Carried Senate 38–24
Division 7 Documents — Australian Army: Jervis Bay Incident; Order for the Production of Documents Negatived Senate 17–30
Division 8 Documents — Office of the Esafety Commissioner; Order for the Production of Documents Carried Senate 37–22
Division 9 Documents — Office of the Esafety Commissioner; Order for the Production of Documents Carried Senate 37–22
Division 10 Documents — Australian Public Service Commission; Order for the Production of Documents Carried Senate 38–22
Division 11 Regulations and Determinations - Tax Assessment (Build to Rent Developments) Determination 2024 - Disallowance Negatived Senate 25–35