A new NSW Government, and some new Ministers to make our lives and work better - yes, hope does spring eternal

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Published: Monday, 26 June 2023 12:29

The election of a Labor government, not quite a majority but with a working majority with assistance from Independents and the Greens, means we can reasonably expect a Minister for Local Government with more of an interest in fair employment practices in the industry, and an Industrial Relations Minister prepared to review the Industrial Relations Act, and the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to make it more balanced, objective, and effective.

UnionsNSW has been critical of appointments made to the IRC by the former Coalition Government and on the day after the election result described the NSW Commission as “hamstrung and biased”. Clearly there will be pressure to make some changes and the Government has committed to do so.

(Historic note, industrial tribunals work better if there is a balance between members from the employers’ side and members from the unions’ side. Some of the best members of the Commission over the decades have been employer representatives who have risen to the challenge of dealing with equity and fairness. It goes without saying that representatives from the union side understand that already. The current Commission has one Chief Commissioner and five Commissioners, only one of whom could broadly be described as having had experience with the union side. Time for a change.)

The new Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety Minister is the Hon Sophie Cotsis, member for Canterbury. The Minister was formerly an official of UnionsNSW, a union official for the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, a political advisor to former Treasurer Michael Costa, and then a two-year stint in a private sector infrastructure company before starting her parliamentary career in 2010. A BA from Macquarie and a Master of Legal Studies from UTS. We like Sophie, (if we may be so bold) she has already established a process to review the NSW Industrial Relations Act, we’ve submitted some proposed legislative changes, and we expect to be meeting in the next couple of months.

The new Local Government Minister is the Hon Ron Hoenig. A hugely experienced councillor, Mayor of Botany for 31 years while practising as a barrister and working for the Public Defender. He became the member for Heffron in 2012. A committed local government true believer, better company than most when we had a short stint together on an advisory committee established by a former local government Minister Ernie Page, and we look forward to the new Minister putting a rocket up the Office of Local Government and flushing out the blockages that have delayed introduction of fair employment arrangements for senior staff.