Ministers for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

Joint release with The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Deputy Prime Minister

Delivering on another pre-election commitment, the Minister for Employment & Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard and the Minister for Small Business, Craig Emerson today announced the creation of a Business Advisory Group and a Small Business Working Group.

The Business Advisory Group and the Small Business Working Group will work with the Government on the drafting of the substantive workplace relations legislation to be introduced later this year.

The Government wants to work consultatively and collaboratively on the substantive legislation which will deliver Labor’s Forward with Fairness Policy. 

The Business Advisory Group will be chaired by Mr John Denton, the CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, a major law firm with expertise in industrial relations.  Mr Denton has a strong personal involvement with the Business Council of Australia. 

Ms Heather Ridout of the Australian Industry Group will be a key member of the Group and will play an important role linking the Business Advisory Group to the statutory body the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council.

The Business Advisory Group will include representatives of the construction, mining, transport, hospitality, retail, banking, labour hire and the media industry.  (Complete list attached)

A Small Business Working Group will also be created to advise specifically on Labor’s new unfair dismissal system, Fair Dismissal Code and other matters of particular concern to small business. 

The Small Business Working Group will be chaired by the Minister for Small Business and will include peak small business organisations. (Complete list attached)

In addition, as part of our formal consultations, Labor will consult the Australian Council of Trade Unions.  Labor will also consult the Australian Council of Social Services, particularly on the question of the circumstances of low wage workers.

The Rudd Labor Government will continue to have the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council (NWRCC) meet.  This is a statutory body comprising representatives of ACCI, the AI Group, the ACTU, AMMA, the BCA, the MBA and NFF. 

The subset group, the Committee on Industrial Legislation (COIL), will also continue to meet and provide technical advice.  Both bodies played an invaluable consultative role in the creation of the Transition Bill.

Media Contact:  Kimberley Gardiner (Minister Gillard's office)  0434 159 842    
                          Paul Scully (Minister Emerson's office) 0419 432 487