Senator Eric Abetz

Justice Giudice will be retiring in February with the good will and high regard of all stakeholders in the workplace relations area. His Presidency of Fair Work Australia and the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (its predecessor) has been exemplary.

He was appointed to the bench because of the high regard in which he was held as an advocate. He enhanced that high regard during his service to the nation on the bench and as the President.

Fair Work Australia’s virtually impossible task of delivering the Modern Awards system is testament to his work ethic. Whilst there are still justifiable criticisms of the Modern Awards, those criticisms cannot and should not be levelled at Fair Work Australia.

The Coalition wishes Justice Giudice well for the future.

Labor must not use this vacancy at the head of Fair Work Australia to appoint another Labor friend to Fair Work Australia.

Labor promised not to appoint ‘an endless tribe of trade union officials’ to the bench of Fair Work Australia.

With 80% of the appointments under this Government coming from trade union officials, one can only hope that Labor will use the opportunity of appointing a new President as an opportunity to balance the ledger and provide Fair Work Australia with some semblance of balance to maintain its reputation.