Mourners at today's live-streamed funeral service for John Kovacic heard that the otherwise mild-mannered man who joined the nation's industrial umpire in 2013 became a different character when he attended a rugby league match featuring his beloved Wests Tigers, when referees making adverse rulings were "blind", or "stupid".
The newly-independent South Australian Senator Rex Patrick says he will now focus on job creation through industry policy and value-added manufacturing to help Australia recover from the coronavirus pandemic rather than "tweaking the IR rules" as sought by the Morrison Government.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recruited another former union heavyweight to help guide the national economic response to COVID-19, appointing ex-AWU national secretary Paul Howes to a newly-badged advisory board with responsibility for IR, workforces and superannuation.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has dismissed her workplace relations and safety minister, Iain Lees-Galloway, over an "inappropriate" relationship with a departmental staffer.
Victoria's Andrews Government has today announced separate reviews of protections against s-xual harassment in the state's courts and tribunals, and in the law firms that tender to the government for legal services.
NSW's Berejiklian Government is seeking expressions of interest for a new member to fill a vacancy left by Nichola Constant's promotion to State IRC Chief Commissioner this year.
Former ACTU secretary and ex-Federal Labor Minister Greg Combet has taken on a new role as an "expert advisor" on industrial relations in the Attorney-General's Department.
