Latest news with #JaneHume
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Sussan Ley's shadow cabinet reveal causes Coalition divide
Some Liberals are suggesting Sussan Ley has risked making enemies in unveiling her new shadow ministry. Conservatives who voted for the Opposition leader have expressed disappointment with her decision to demote those who voted against her leadership. According to The Australian, several Liberal members expected Jane Hume to be given a more junior role rather than being removed entirely from the frontbench. Other Coalition members have voiced their support for the Opposition leader's decision.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Burnout, underinvestment to blame for productivity slump, not working from home: Aussie academic
Overwork, burnout and underinvestment are the cause of falling productivity, not working from home, a workplace expert and academic says. A major report released this week by the Productivity Commission has found working from home at least some of the time is more productive than being in the office full-time. Multinational companies are mostly pulling the rank and file workers back into offices, while government agencies and academics work to assess the effectiveness of the pandemic-era work from home shift. 'There's no evidence to suggest working from home is the root cause of these recent productivity challenges, which have been going since long before most people were working from home,' Swinburne University workplace expert John Hopkins said. 'Overwork, burnout, underinvestment, outdated processes, and cost of living pressures are likely factors behind poor productivity.' During the federal election campaign, the Coalition quickly-abandoned a proposal for public servants to be back in offices five days a week. The architect of that failed policy, Liberal Senator Jane Hume, said in the lead-up to the election: 'It will be an expectation of a Dutton Liberal government that all members of the (Australian Public Service) work from the office five days a week. But the proposal was so despised it was abandoned mid-campaign, and Senator Hume has since been dumped from Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's newly-minted shadow cabinet. Released on Thursday, the Productivity Commission report finds arrangements where staff work from both the office and at home tend to benefit both productivity and job satisfaction. 'Allowing workers to work from home some days can improve worker satisfaction and allows people to benefit by avoiding the commute to work, meaning they have additional time for other purposes,' the commission finds. Working from home reduces sick days, breaks and distractions 'all of which are typically found to be beneficial for productivity', it says in the report. About 36 per cent of working Australians regularly do a shift from home; a tripling since before the pandemic. Working from home is markedly better for women, the Productivity Commission finds, however younger workers miss out on face-to-face learning. The report points to falling business investment as the reason national productivity fell by 1.2 per cent in 2024.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Major Aussie WFH lie exposed
Overwork, burnout and underinvestment are the cause of falling productivity, not working from home, a workplace expert and academic says. A major report released this week by the Productivity Commission has found working from home at least some of the time is more productive than being in the office full-time. Multinational companies are mostly pulling the rank and file workers back into offices, while government agencies and academics work to assess the effectiveness of the pandemic-era work from home shift. 'There's no evidence to suggest working from home is the root cause of these recent productivity challenges, which have been going since long before most people were working from home,' Swinburne University workplace expert John Hopkins said. More than one-in-three Australians with a job regularly work from home. Wikimedia commons Credit: Supplied 'Overwork, burnout, underinvestment, outdated processes, and cost of living pressures are likely factors behind poor productivity.' During the federal election campaign, the Coalition quickly-abandoned a proposal for public servants to be back in offices five days a week. The architect of that failed policy, Liberal Senator Jane Hume, said in the lead-up to the election: 'It will be an expectation of a Dutton Liberal government that all members of the (Australian Public Service) work from the office five days a week. But the proposal was so despised it was abandoned mid-campaign, and Senator Hume has since been dumped from Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's newly-minted shadow cabinet. After spearheading the push for an end to working from home, Senator Jane Hume has been demoted to the opposition back bench. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia Released on Thursday, the Productivity Commission report finds arrangements where staff work from both the office and at home tend to benefit both productivity and job satisfaction. 'Allowing workers to work from home some days can improve worker satisfaction and allows people to benefit by avoiding the commute to work, meaning they have additional time for other purposes,' the commission finds. Working from home reduces sick days, breaks and distractions 'all of which are typically found to be beneficial for productivity', it says in the report. About 36 per cent of working Australians regularly do a shift from home; a tripling since before the pandemic. Working from home is markedly better for women, the Productivity Commission finds, however younger workers miss out on face-to-face learning. The report points to falling business investment as the reason national productivity fell by 1.2 per cent in 2024.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Burnout, underinvestment to blame for productivity slump, not working from home: Aussie academic
Overwork, burnout and underinvestment are the cause of falling productivity, not working from home, a workplace expert and academic says. A major report released this week by the Productivity Commission has found working from home at least some of the time is more productive than being in the office full-time. Multinational companies are mostly pulling the rank and file workers back into offices, while government agencies and academics work to assess the effectiveness of the pandemic-era work from home shift. 'There's no evidence to suggest working from home is the root cause of these recent productivity challenges, which have been going since long before most people were working from home,' Swinburne University workplace expert  John Hopkins said. 'Overwork, burnout, underinvestment, outdated processes, and cost of living pressures are likely factors behind poor productivity.' During the federal election campaign, the Coalition quickly-abandoned a proposal for public servants to be back in offices five days a week. The architect of that failed policy, Liberal Senator Jane Hume, said in the lead-up to the election: 'It will be an expectation of a Dutton Liberal government that all members of the (Australian Public Service) work from the office five days a week. But the proposal was so despised it was abandoned mid-campaign, and Senator Hume has since been dumped from Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's newly-minted shadow cabinet. Released on Thursday, the Productivity Commission report finds arrangements where staff work from both the office and at home tend to benefit both productivity and job satisfaction. 'Allowing workers to work from home some days can improve worker satisfaction and allows people to benefit by avoiding the commute to work, meaning they have additional time for other purposes,' the commission finds. Working from home reduces sick days, breaks and distractions 'all of which are typically found to be beneficial for productivity', it says in the report. About 36 per cent of working Australians regularly do a shift from home; a tripling since before the pandemic. Working from home is markedly better for women, the Productivity Commission finds, however younger workers miss out on face-to-face learning. The report points to falling business investment as the reason national productivity fell by 1.2 per cent in 2024.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Natalie Barr asks Jane Hume if her demotion from the Liberal frontbench was 'payback' for her WFH policy
Dumped Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume has revealed she feels 'hurt' over her demotion but is preparing to 'straighten her tiara' and get on with the job. Appearing on Sunrise this morning, she has made her first public comments since her dumping emerged as the biggest shock of Liberal leader Sussan Ley's new frontbench. It followed a rocky campaign for Senator Hume who was seen as responsible for the loss of seats over her disastrous work from home policy that was dumped mid-campaign and her bizarre claim that Chinese spies were working at ALP polling booths. 'Do you think this was payback from Sussan Ley for the role you played in the work-from-home policy,'' Sunrise host Nat Barr asked this morning. 'Nat, if you're asking me whether I feel hurt or slighted by this move from Sussan, of course it hurts,'' Senator Hume said. 'It hurts professionally because I was a hard-working and prolific and high-profile member of the frontbench in the previous Opposition. 'It hurts personally, too, because you know, Sussan and I are friends. This isn't the playground. 'This is the Parliament. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to make a difference. I'm here to fight for the future of your kids, my kids, their kids for freedom and choice and personal responsibility and reward for effort and the importance of small business and the dangers of big government. 'I will continue to do that everyday from whatever position I am in. And, in fact, there is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points. 'That's certainly going to make for much more interesting Sunrise interviews. So, you're very lucky, I think.' Senator Hume then outlined the advice her mum always gave her when she experienced turbulence in life. 'As my very wise mother would say, 'Stop your nonsense, chin up, chest out, straighten your tiara and let's get on with the job,'' she said. 'The most important thing we can all do here now is get behind Sussan Ley, put our shoulders to the wheel. Because there's a very big task ahead of us. Not only to win back the hearts and minds and votes of Australians but also to hold this terrible government to account and that's exactly what I am going to be doing everyday and every single one of my colleagues are going to be doing everyday.' It comes after Ms Ley shot down suggestions the decision to dump Senator Hume was a 'get square' for the moderate MP backing Angus Taylor. 'Absolutely not. I'm not going to reflect on the qualities of individuals with respect to the qualities of other individuals. I don't think that's a fair question,'' Ms Ley said. 'And I don't think the premise of it is reasonable. What I will repeat is that having spoken to every single member of my 54-member party room today, I know that we have harnessed the talent that we need in this shadow ministry going forward but that there is a role for every single person. 'Opposition is not about hierarchies. It's not about structure. It's about getting every player on the field, fighting the fight, because this is not about the internals you've spoken of. This is about how we go out there to work hard for the Australian people.' Deputy Liberal leader Ted O'Brien will take on the role of treasury spokesman while leadership aspirant Angus Taylor has been shifted from Shadow Treasurer to Defence. James Paterson has been promoted to the Coalition spokesman for finance, government services, and the public service. Future leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie, who had asked to move from defence into an economics or social services role, has been promoted to the spokesman for home affairs. Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack have been hit with demotions from the frontbench. Ley lashed over decision to dump four women As the dust settles from the shake-up, Liberals have pointed out there are now fewer women in the shadow cabinet than under Peter Dutton. There are now eight women in a 27-strong shadow cabinet - an enormous frontbench given the dwindling size of the opposition ranks in Parliament. By comparison, there were 11 women in Mr Dutton's 23-strong shadow cabinet prior to the election of Sussan Ley although a large number of new faces have been promoted to the outer ministry. 'I feel for Jane Hume, she's just collateral damage,'' a Liberal MP and supporter of Angus Taylor in the leadership ballot said. But Senator Hume's position is particularly curious, because while Mr Taylor's group believes she voted for him in the secret ballot, Ms Ley's supporters insist the moderate voted for her. A similar mystery has emerged over exactly who Senator Hume has voted for in previous ballots leading to questions over her factional allegiances. A regular on Channel 7's Sunrise, she angered colleagues during the election over her claim 'Chinese spies' were working at voting booths for the ALP along with the work from home debacle. She also emerged in 2022 and in 2025 as a potential candidate for the deputy leadership. 'We think Jane did vote for Sussan. It's not a punishment,'' a supporter of Ms Ley said. But other MPs claim that there was a falling out between the two women, amid claims Senator Hume had accused Ms Ley's faction of backgrounding against her. Peter Dutton spotted on a commercial flight Meanwhile a video of former Liberal leader Peter Dutton on a Qantas flight has emerged. In the video posted on TikTok, Mr Dutton is spotted giving some serious side eye to the person filming him. The footage was posted by Australian singer and songwriter Miss Kaninna.
