Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

Resumes are scrutinised and references are sought on all prospective nominees. In the case of Deputy President and Commissioner candidates, the shortlist of candidates is scrutinised by the Opposition Spokesperson for Workplace Relations and the views of the States and Territories are sought on the shortlist of candidates resident in that State or Territory. In the case of the President, the views of the Opposition Spokesperson and the State and Territory Ministers for Workplace Relations were sought on the entire shortlist. The President of Fair Work Australia is also consulted on prospective nominees.

Prospective nominees are required to complete a private interest declaration and provide an assurance that they have no conflict of interest in addition to providing a release to allow the Department to undertake credentials checks.

These checks may include the following:

Prospective nominees are not advised of which of these checks will be, or are, undertaken.

Any matter disclosed in the private interest declaration or that arises from other sources, is considered on a case by case basis with all information being treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.