Monthly Update – Australian Labour & Employment, December 2015

DEVELOPMENTS IN AUSTRALIAN LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW IN 2015 AND PROSPECTS FOR 2016

Compared with recent years, 2015 was a relatively quiet year for legislative change in the labour and employment arena, due largely to the current Liberal/National Coalition Government's desire to avoid introducing any radical change. However, late in the year, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was ousted by Malcolm Turnbull, who has a more socially progressive agenda. Parliament passed the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2015, although with significant amendments from Senate crossbenchers. The Productivity Commission report on the workplace relations framework and the 2016 Federal election are likely to result in changes to Australian labour and employment law in 2016.