Senate leader of government business Senator Lisa Cummins warned fellow lawmakers on Wednesday that the Protection of Wages Bill now before them must be read alongside existing labour laws, as she argued the measure modernises worker protections while binding both public and private employers.

Describing the bill as part of the broader employment and industrial relations framework, she said it complements the existing labour laws, pointing to collective bargaining, National Insurance, maternity and paternity leave, and the Safety and Health at Work Act as examples of protections already in place for workers.

No legislation should be interpreted on its own, Cummins suggested.