In a valedictory speech tracing his arrival in Sydney as an "economic refugee" in 1973 to becoming a union leader and Labor shadow minister, Senator Doug Cameron has told the Senate that his belief in socialism drove him to seek a Senate seat and credited his wife with saving him from alcohol addiction.
A representative for IR Minister Kelly O'Dwyer has praised a new FWC presidential appointee for his HR expertise and direct business experience, observing it is "not a common attribute" of Commission members "who tend to operate in the IR system".
A baby who survived the devastating 1974 Cyclone Tracy by sheltering in a double-brick dunny with his parents in the backyard of their Darwin home has become one of the newest members of the FWC.
An online campaign backed by the Victorian Trades Hall Council says it has raised $44,000 to pay a personal fine levied against CFMMEU official Joe Myles, while the ABCC has confirmed it started nine investigations into workers who walked off the job to attend the ACTU's "change the rules" rallies last year.
A gathering in Melbourne yesterday to celebrate the life of employer advocate George Polites heard tributes from IR Minister Kelly O'Dwyer and Hancock committee chair Keith Hancock.
George Polites, one of the nation's longest-serving and most prominent advocates for Australian industry, has passed away peacefully at his home in Melbourne, aged 100.
Former Howard Government IR Minister Peter Reith, barrister Stuart Wood and union leader Graeme Kelly have been recognised in this year's Australia Day Honours.
