Latest news with #IndustrialRelations
Sky News AU
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Costed energy policy, real cost of living relief: What Sussan Ley must offer voters to haul the Coalition back from pitiful 40-year polling low
The 2025 Federal Election was a landslide victory to Labor and a massive blow to the Liberal Party. Compounding that, data released this week, revealed support for the Coalition has sunk to a 40-year low, although Labor has failed to capitalise on the exodus. Despite the uphill battle the Liberal Party now face, there is no assurance that Labor will secure a next-term win, and in fact, it is now anyone's game. The biggest lesson that can be taken from the Federal Election is that when any party strays from its core values, they will be punished at the polls. The 2025 primary vote for Labor was 34.6 per cent while the LNP primary vote was 31.8 per cent. Contrast that to the 2019 Morrison versus Shorten election, with Labor's primary at 33 per cent while the Morrison-led coalition achieved a primary of 41 per cent. The 2019 LNP result looks like a dream compared to the nightmare they just endured. The Liberals in particular, have been dealt the worst hand, with previous supporters voting for minor parties and independents, and the preferences heavily in favour of Labor. The Greens are another party who are paying the price for jumping into issues without a clear agenda. The group remain a force in the Senate but lost three out of four of their Lower House seats, including that of Greens leader, Adam Bandt. On the other hand, One Nation has doubled their numbers in the Senate, increasing to four Senators. People know what they are voting for and the renewed numbers for One Nation is the outcome delivered from disgruntled voters who look towards alternate parties who show their cards and stick to the values that voters align with. Parties are also defined by their action or inaction in opposition. In 2007, Kevin Rudd easily took down a stale Howard-Costello government who had been in power for a decade and had begun messing with Industrial Relations laws to the detriment of the average Aussie battler. Mr Rudd was a clean slate, and announced he would abolish Howard's 'unfair dismissal' laws, which affected everyone employed by small and medium businesses with under 100, employees, and on the flipside, promised climate change action, laptops in classrooms and a faster internet. Then, when Tony Abbott became opposition leader, he was so effective and aggressive in his relentless attacks on a chaotic and dysfunctional Rudd-led Labor Party, that he was credited for the internal toppling of Rudd, who was replace by Julia Gillard. Mr Abbott outlined everything that was different between the Liberal's path compared to the disastrous paths Mr Rudd had led Australia down. Mr Abbott pledged to "stop the boats", and get rid of the carbon and mining taxes. It should have been an easy task for Peter Dutton, as opposition leader, to show the public the contrast between the Liberal outlook compared to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's failures as Labor leader. But with policy on the fly, such as the not-so-well-thought-out nuclear power stations (without costings), the appeal of the Liberals remained flat in the recent election with a lower primary vote even to Labor's. The Liberals have the most to lose – and the most to gain over the next three years as they navigate a new path forward. They will need to prove to a skeptical voting public that they have the better policies to help make Australia's economy stronger, cost of living cheaper, and its social values uncompromised. New Liberal opposition leader Sussan Ley and her deputy Ted O'Brien are off to a shaky start with a messy split between the Liberals and Nationals after a breakdown in talks between Ms Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud, before the parties made amends. Then, during her first major address as opposition leader at the National Press Club, Ms Ley touted the possibility of quotas for higher female participation within the party as her first big idea. It was the only take away from that all-important first address. Ms Ley looks like a leader without a clear direction. She does have some grace of a new leader of a party facing a massive slump in numbers, which have been halved to their potential size. But that window will close by the end of the year and those who look to the Liberals as a plausible alternative to Labor will judge whether they are on track in finding their true north. The Liberals will need to have a coherent energy policy and renewables agenda while putting forward their ideas to provide baseload power to support manufacturing while bringing down power prices, rather than a nuclear policy without any costings. They will need to explain exactly how they will drive down inflation and cost of living expenses, stabilise housing and rental prices, and show that they have been better at bulk billing and Medicare than Labor. Slogans will no longer do, and strong policy direction will need to be coupled with reliable costings before the next election – so the work starts now. Robert Weir is a freelance journalist whose work has also been published in The Spectator Australia. He enjoys writing political, lifestyle, and environmental stories as well as film reviews
News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
DV Helpline staff question end to WFH in NSW after Premier's message
The NSW Department of Criminal Justice will be brought before the Industrial Relations Commission after domestic violence and helpline staff pushed back against a return to work mandate. The Public Service Association (PSA) raised a dispute with the DCJ regarding the department's expectation that call-centre staff return to the office 'principally' or 50 per cent of the time. The mandate would mean staff, including those dealing with DV victims and child protection services, would need to attend the Liverpool or regional office for at least 50 per cent of their shifts. The PSA said the policy came in response to a circular from Premier Chris Minns last year that, while not specifically calling for an end to working from home, said it should not be 'taken for granted'. 'The circular does not strictly prescribe patterns of attendance and allows for ad hoc variations for the needs of employees and organisations,' the PSA said in a statement on Friday morning. 'As per the dispute resolution process, we met with DCJ and asked for feedback as to why they would not consider you for an ad hoc exemption. They have not provided any formal response yet.' Due to a lack of response, the service workers union is now seeking 'the assistance' of the state's Industrial Relations Commission, with the first conciliation meeting held on Wednesday. The PSA said it sought to understand the 'specific operation grounds' the DCJ was using to 'deny the ad hoc exemption', with a further hearing on June 17. 'Yet there have been no operational requirements provided, other than simply the Premier's circular,' the PSA said. 'Your delegates and the PSA do not believe there is any valid operational requirement for an increase in office attendance, as the work you perform has been structured around remote working for the past four years or longer. 'You work in the same manner in the office, as you do from home, with the same processes, practices, and structures.' A meeting between the union and helpline and DV line members is slated for June 2. An end to Covid-era work-from-home arrangements and mandated return to the office has been a significant sticking point in both the private and government sectors in recent years. In his circular, Mr Minns noted the usefulness of WFH arrangements in 'attracting and retaining talented people' since 2019 but said there were 'many ways' to achieve flexible work arrangements. Mr Minns said WFH arrangements were not available to all government employees, and the starting position is that those staff 'work principally in an approved workplace in NSW'. 'Arrangements to work from home on some occasions must take into consideration the wider needs of departments, agencies, the community and stakeholders,' the August circular stated. Mr Minns' opposition to WFH caused friction during the election. The state premier told reporters during the campaign that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was dealing with different circumstances in his opposition of the Liberals' plan to end WFH for public servants. A report earlier this month found staff at NSW Treasury were in the office only about half the time, or about 2.5 days per week, increasing from an average of 1.7 days per week in July 2024.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$26,000 a month in Fresno County? California is hiring for these high-paying state jobs
The state of California is hiring in Fresno County for full-time positions in fields ranging from legal work to nursing and engineering. State jobs are known for offering competitive benefits and enrollment in the nation's largest state public pension plan. Many of the following jobs have specific requirements, which are linked. Here were the latest state jobs available in Fresno County on the CalCareers website as of Friday, Feb 14: Attorney supervisor | Permanent, full-time Department: Industrial Relations Salary: $11,867 to $16,408 per month The attorney supervisor directs and reviews the work of a team of the division's legal unit staff in multiple substantive areas of law, including occupational safety, health law, administrative law, employment law and labor law. The attorney also works in constitutional law, corporate law, bankruptcy law, criminal law and civil procedure law. Other duties include directing the work of complex and sensitive investigations of the California Bureau of Investigations. The application period closes on Thursday, March 6. Business taxes specialist I | Permanent, full-time Department: Tax and Fee Administration Salary: $7,817 to $9,785 per month The business taxes specialist independently performs the most complex, difficult, and sensitive tax compliance and collection work. Duties also include acting in a leadership capacity performing monthly reviews of aged revocation and collection cases, providing guidance to staff and evaluating needs for training. The business taxes specialist is expected to perform a review of assignments through the Centralized Revenue Opportunity System Assignment Control. The application period closes on Friday, Feb. 28. Chief executive officer | Permanent, full-time Department: Correctional Health Care Services Salary: $15,480 to $22,567 per month The chief executive officer is responsible for planning, organizing and coordinating a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation of one or two institutions and delivery of a multi-functional health care system. This system features a full range of medical, mental health, dental, pharmacy and medication management specialized care and clinic services. The chief executive officer serves as the Correctional Health Care Services Department's and receiver's principal advisor on the institution-specific application of health care policies and procedures. The application period is open until filled. Correctional lieutenant | Permanent, full-time Department: Corrections and Rehabilitation Salary: $8,924 to $11,932 per month The correctional lieutenant is responsible for managing the operations of the Regional Selection Center and acts as branch liaison to local wardens, parole region administrators, other department hiring authorities and community leaders. The correctional lieutenant independently makes administrative decisions pertaining to the operation of the Regional Selection Center. The application period is open until Tuesday, Feb. 18. Driver safety manager III | Permanent, full-time Department: Industrial Relations Salary: $9,456 to $10,742 per month The driver safety manager oversees staff and operations of the Fresno Driver Safety District office and resident locations in Bakersfield and Riverside. The driver safety manger provides direct supervision to the driver safety manager positions. Additional duties include planing, coordinating and managing the work and activities of the Fresno Driver Safety District office. The application period is open until Friday, Feb. 21. Environmental scientist | Permanent, full-time Department: Pesticide Regulation Salary: 4,269 to $8,877 per month The environmental scientist performs a broad range of work concerning present and future environmental, environmental health, and natural resource management issues related to protecting California's natural resources, agricultural productivity and public health. The environmental scientist oversees and implements enforcement of various environmental and environmental health-related laws and regulations such as review reports and other documents to determine the effects of proposed activities on environmental health. The application period closes on Sunday, March 2. Forester I | Permanent, full-time Department: Forestry and Fire Protection Salary: $6,233 to $8,090 per month The forester is responsible for implementing wildfire resilience efforts within the unit. The forester also assists in the implementation of the vegetation management/treatment programs, prescribed fire program, forestry assistance, fire prevention grants, forest practice and fuels reduction efforts in the unit. The position will be responsible for the oversight, planning, and implementation of various resource management programs and fire prevention grants consistent with forest health, forest resilience, fuels management and Unit Fire Plan objectives. The application period is open until filled. Physician and surgeon | Permanent, full-time Department: State Hospitals Salary: $20,142 to $26,631 per month The physician and surgeon is responsible for making professional decisions regarding general medical work and surgery, as well as for appropriate referrals for services not performed at the Department of State Hospitals in Coalinga. The physician and surgeon is required to maintain professional communication with physicians, consultants, nurses and other personnel. The application period is open until filled. Public Health Nurse II | Permanent, full time Department: State Hospitals Salary: 9,891 to $12,381 per month The public health nurse plans, implements and provides public health nursing services and an infection control program in an all-male forensic mental health state hospital. The role also assists with the surveillance prevention and control of infections and communicable diseases and carries out epidemiological investigations. The application period is open until filled. Senior hydraulics engineer | Permanent, full-time Department: Transportation Salary: $11,104 to $13,898 per month The senior hydraulics engineer directs the operations of the Hydraulics Branch, organizing, directing, evaluating and controling all phases of the department's Central Region Hydraulics program. The engineer is responsible for the completion and delivery of all assigned projects. Other duties include ensuring that projects meet all technical specifications, standards, requirements and are completed on schedule and within budget. The senior transportation civil engineer must be a registered civil engineer in California. The application period closes on Tuesday, Feb 18.
