Two new appointments have been made to the Fair Work Commission as the Albanese Government delivers on its promise to restore balance to the Commission.
Ms Terri Butler holds extensive industrial relations experience and has been appointed as Deputy President of the Commission, commencing on 9 September 2024.
Mr Damian Sloan, a former employment and industrial lawyer, has also been appointed as Commissioner, commencing on 19 August 2024.
Both appointees have been appointed until they reach the statutory retirement age of 65.
The appointees bring extensive experience to the roles, and will execute their duties with impartiality, dedication and diligence.
The appointees will assist the Fair Work Commission in performing new functions arising from the passage of the Albanese Government's Closing Loopholes laws.
These functions include new powers for the Commission to make and deal with disputes about regulated labour hire arrangement orders and new powers to make minimum standard orders and deal with certain disputes for 'employee-like' workers performing digital platform work.
The Commission also has a new dispute resolution function to deal with 'unfair contracts' for certain independent contractors and new functions relating to a right to disconnect.
The work of the Commission is more important than ever with the implementation of the Government's significant workplace relations reforms to ensure secure jobs, better pay and safer workplaces for Australian workers.
Biographies:
Ms Terri Butler has served as an Industrial Commissioner with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission since January 2024. Before then, Ms Butler was the sole proprietor of a consulting business (2022-2023). Ms Butler was the Federal Member for Griffith (2014-2022) and held various positions, including being a member of the Shadow Ministry from 2018 and Shadow Cabinet from 2019. Prior to that, Ms Butler was engaged in legal practice with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and Hall Payne Lawyers (2000-2014) where she rose to the position of Partner specialising in industrial and employment law. She was also member of the Queensland Law Society's Industrial Law Committee (2012-2014) and Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Commission's advocates' committee. Ms Butler was a sessional academic at the Queensland University of Technology (2005-2006) and an organiser and then communications officer with the Australian Services Union (1999-2000). Ms Butler has a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the Queensland University of Technology.
Mr Damian Sloan has served as a Commissioner of the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission since 2018. Before then, Mr Sloan was Group General Manager, Employee and Industrial Relations and previously Senior Legal Counsel - Workplace Relations & Safety at Toll Holdings Limited (2010-2018). Mr Sloan has been a Partner at Middletons (now K&L Gates) (2005-2010), a Partner at Ebsworth and Ebsworth (now HWL Ebsworth) (2001-2005) and a Partner (previously Senior Associate) at Holding Redlich (1997-2001). Mr Sloan has also been a sessional lecturer at Notre Dame University (2009-2011) and a Lecturer at the University of Canberra (1997). Mr Sloan has a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University.
