A labour hire company and the AWU's national office paid for staff for then national secretary Bill Shorten's campaign to win the federal seat of Maribyrnong at the 2007 federal election, the Heydon Royal Commission heard today in Sydney.
A lawyer who is facing disciplinary proceedings for allegedly making dishonest statements to a prospective employer has failed to have her case struck out, despite receiving an "unfortunate" email from the Legal Services Commissioner suggesting her case had been discharged.
The TWU has defended its handling of "questionable conduct" by two former secretaries of its WA branch over the purchase of two $150,000 "luxury utilities", which has been investigated by the Heydon Royal Commission.
Fair Work Commission Vice President Michael Lawler says he has been under "enormous and sustained personal stress" since 2011, due to legal proceedings and media reportage involving his partner, former HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson.
A senior solicitor who is the director of the AI Group's law firm, Ai Group Legal, has the right to represent employers without seeking leave, because he is also the employer organisation's in-house lawyer, a FWC full bench has ruled.
A HR manager could face penalties after a court found she was involved in her employer's contravention of the Fair Work Act when it provided notice to an employee that fell two days short of the statutory requirement.
The FWC has banned a CFMEU official from holding an entry permit for 19 months over his "serious and ugly" behaviour towards an FWBC inspector on a building site last year that was captured on video and played to the Heydon Royal Commission.
In rare public comments by a member of the Fair Work Commission, Vice-President Michael Lawler has rejected allegations or imputations of wrongdoing against him as "demonstrably false and malicious".
The High Court will this week hear Victorian CFMEU leader John Setka's bid for special leave to challenge an appeal court ruling on his defamation claim against Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Sky News.
