Bruce Lehrmann’s second sexual assault trial expected to be dropped; Judge to hand down Chris Dawson sentence; Senate passes IR bill

Labor’s landmark industrial relations changes have passed the Senate with support from the crossbench.

The legislation includes a review of current wage awards, better protections and faster payment for subcontractors, and more compensation for firefighters exposed to cancerous chemicals.

The passage of the bill, which will go to the House of Representatives today, had been virtually assured after independent ACT Senator David Pocock guaranteed his support at the weekend.

Businesses with fewer than 20 employees were set to be exempt from the expanded bargaining powers, as are construction companies, with greater protections negotiated for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Labor the Greens and Pocock also combined to pass the Restoring Territory Rights Bill, which will allow the ACT and NT to, among other things, make their own laws on voluntary assisted dying.