Mirabella heading for FWC
The Federal Government has picked former federal Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella to join the Fair Work Commission.
In a move that Labor says should send a chill down the spine of workers, Ms mirabella is reportedly one of five new commissioners selected by Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter.
Ms Mirabella held the regional Victorian seat of Indi between 2001 and 2013, and is now in line for her second government job since losing her seat.
She was appointed to the board of the Australian Submarine Corporation under the Abbott government.
During her time in Parliament, she was one of the strongest supporters of the Howard government’s WorkChoices regime, which weakened unfair dismissal laws, reduced the ability to legally go on strike, and opened workers up to workplace deals that left them worse off than they had been.
Labor has expressed concern at Ms Mirabella’s appointment to the industrial umpire.
“I’m not sure if Christian Porter is trying to stack the Fair Work Commission or just discredit it, but this appointment will achieve both,” said opposition industrial relations spokesperson Tony Burke.
“For the commission to work as intended there needs to be balance between employer and employee representatives. But for eight long years the Liberals have been stacking the commission with employers and ideologues so workers have less of a voice.
“One of the least conciliatory people to come through the federal Parliament will now be in charge of conciliation for every workplace in the country.
“Now they’ve gone a step further to make a blatantly political appointment of a Liberal mate.
“A person who described John Howard’s Work Choices as ‘big but fair’ and ‘significant and necessary’ will earn up to $470,000 a year for the next 13 years to oversee Australia’s workplaces. It should send a chill down every worker’s spine.”
There are currently three vacancies on the commission, but this will become five, with two members set to retire.
Most of the 39 serving commissioners are Coalition appointees, though there are 17 Labor appointees left over from the Rudd/Gillard years.