PN1

JUSTICE ROSS: Mr O'Sullivan.

PN2

MR O'SULLIVAN: Thank you, your Honour. If the Commission pleases, I'll begin firstly be acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land upon which we meet, the Wurundjeri and the people of the Kulin Nation and I pay my respects to their elders, both past and present. I would also extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may be with us today. Good morning, your Honour, members of the Fair Work Commission and representatives of industry, the trade union movement and the legal profession.

PN3

I particularly welcome and acknowledge Deputy President Masson and Millhouse and your families on this happy occasion. I appear on behalf of the Federal Minister for Employment, Senator the Honourable Michaelia Cash, who is unable to be here today but asked me to convey her personal congratulations. As I said at Deputy President Beaumont's welcoming ceremony last month in Perth, the Fair Work Commission and its predecessors have played an important role in shaping Australia's industrial relations landscape for over 100 years.

PN4

During this time the functions and remit of this institution have grown as a result of social, economic and legislative change. As the Fair Work Act covers the majority of Australian workplaces, the decisions of this Commission have broad-ranging impact throughout the country. In the future, as technology, globalisation and demographic changes transform the nature of work and of workplaces, the Commonwealth is confident that this Commission will continue to insure Australia's workplace relations and relationships keep pace with these emerging issues.

PN5

As esteemed members of the workplace relations profession, the Commonwealth is sure that Deputy President Masson and Millhouse are well-placed to make valuable contributions to this Commission now and into the future. Deputy President Masson, as a highly-experienced business executive with extensive workplace relations expertise, you are highly-qualified to perform the duties of your new role as a senior member of this Commission. You graduated with a bachelor of economics in 1984 from Newcastle University. Since then you have developed extensive workplace relations managerial experience, particularly within the resources industry, including as the national industry manager of the Australian Mines and Metal Association, Vice President Human Resources at Woodside Energy and most recently as industrial relations manager at Exxon Mobil, just to name a few. In these roles you led enterprise agreement negotiations, appeared before industrial tribunals, including this Commission, and managed organisational change. In your most recent role you have provided strategic and operational advice on employee and industrial relations matters and have managed stakeholder relationships, working with trade unions and employer associations.

PN6

The Commonwealth is confident that your extensive experience managing industrial disputes and familiarity with the bargaining process will make you a valuable addition to this Commission. Deputy President Millhouse, with a decade of experience working on complex employment law matters, you are eminently qualified for appointment as a new and senior member of this Commission. You graduated with a bachelor of laws with honours and a bachelor of arts in 2004 from the University of Tasmania. After being admitted in 2005 you commenced a workplace relations advisory role with the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

PN7

In 2007 you turned to private practice, rising up through the ranks to become senior associate in 2013. During this time you developed expertise as a specialist workplace relations lawyer and have gained extensive employment litigation experience. You also have experience working internationally, including in Hong Kong, where you assisted clients to manage multi-jurisdictional projects. The high regard in which you are held is reflected in your appointment first as assistant secretary and then as secretary of the Industrial Relations Society of Victoria.

PN8

Deputy Presidents Masson and Millhouse, on behalf of the Australian government I congratulate you on your appointments and wish you well with the tasks ahead, may it please the Commission.

PN9

MR KNOTT: Thank you, your Honour. Members of the Commission, if the Commission pleases - it is with great pleasure I welcome the appointments of both Deputy President Masson and Deputy President Millhouse here today on behalf of ACCI and the wider employer community. Also recognise the workplace relations director from ACCI who is here today in Scott Barklamb and also on behalf of fellow board members of ACCI and their chief executive James Pearson, we wish you all the very best in your new roles. I thought I'd just flip the order from what Mr O'Sullivan did and start with you, Deputy President Millhouse, as a fellow Tasmanian. You are known very well to many in the employer community, primarily through the quality of your employment law advice. You've had a long vocational interest in workplace relations in the law. This was demonstrated early in your career when you took up a role with ACCI, the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It was known to mainlanders even back then in mid-2005 that you were a talented workplace relations professional.

PN10

As I mentioned before you were drawn from the best state in the world. I know that your family members here today will be very proud that you're made it to the mainland and been quite successful. As referenced by Mr O'Sullivan you took up your first role on the mainland with DLA Piper. You went to Hong Kong and whilst the jurisdiction that you were involved in today and into the future mainly focuses on employment matters between national employers and employees, this international experience will no doubt hold you in good stead because in 2017 more so than ever before there are not too many major employers in Australia that just have their focus within the boundaries of the Australian jurisdiction.

PN11

So that experience no doubt in conciliations and advice that you may give from the bench will be quite helpful. When you started in Victoria there were two keen IR observers that saw you - to use an AFL parlance - an employment lawyer priority pick. Both those observers are here today and they made very generous employment offers to you, both of which you rejected. Despite that distinct lack of judgement, Deputy President Millhouse, both Chris Gardner and myself, also known as the rejected, we watched your career blossom and most recently Mr Gardner got to see that firsthand, with the other three partners of Seyfarth Shaw in Victoria, where you worked as a senior associate from 2013 to 2017.

PN12

Your IRS role, a voluntary role, had been noted and many of the complex employment law matters that you dealt with, including a major case with McDermott and the former HR/IR manager from McDermott is here today - Mr Terry Adams - and the people involved in that project, including QC Stuart Wood, who is also here today, are pretty hard taskmasters. You survived that test in a glowing way and the testimony to you in terms of your responsiveness, your professionalism, the advice that you gave, was held in extremely high regard so I suspect that the rest of your career will be a bit of a breeze, having passed that test.

PN13

Your colleagues describe you as highly skilled, professional, resilient, affable, hard-working and a quick learner. The quick learner aspect no doubt will be quite handy when some of the matters that come before you may be somewhat unfamiliar to you and somewhat weird and I'm sure you will be well-placed to address those issues. I asked some of your former colleagues to speak about some of your hidden talents and I must say they were overly enthusiastic to do so. One such talent involves your penchant for microphone, eyes fixated on a TV screen and a bouncy ball to keep you in tune.

PN14

With the first Tuesday in November not far away now, who knows, a singalong, jockey silks, an inflatable horse, may just reappear to diffuse a dispute before you, Deputy President, but then again, perhaps not - or not this year at least. It is clear from your career to date you live by the mantra success is earned. It's not an entitlement. You have made an exceptional contribution to workplace relations over the past decade and you'll be an outstanding appointment. I suspect, Deputy President, if you feel overwhelmed at any point you won't have too far to dig into your network to find someone with the skills to organise a luxury escape at a bargain price. Congratulations on your appointment and best wishes.

PN15

Deputy President Masson, I was going to commence with the phrase, “It's a humbling experience,” but I don't wish to diminish the significance of those very words when I first heard you utter them when you replaced me as the Tasmanian manager in 1996. What hasn't been referenced is your career before joining AMA was quite extensive. A boiler maker's mate in Newcastle, a Newcastle boy - today I think they refer to that as a trades assistant. You learned many skills in that role. Your first role in industrial relations was in 1986 and I'm sure you'll reference the person who appointed you into that role, who is here today.

PN16

You started as a graduate industrial officer for those not familiar with ANM, that's just up the road from where Deputy President Millhouse lived at Boyer in Tasmania. You rose to the role of industrial officer by the time you left in 1990. You then went on to be employee relations manager at Laminex Industries at Wagga Wagga for three years and then three years as employee relations manager at ACI Glass, so a pretty impressive decade of experience with key newsprint and manufacturing employers. Post this period you had 21 years in the resources and energy sector - seven years at AMA in a role as a state manager Tasmania, state manager of Victoria and national industry manager.

PN17

Some of those roles involved international study tours, representation at the international labour organisation and I can recall when confronted with media challenges you openly put forward that you had a face for radio. You then went on to have 12 years at Woodside Energy and it wasn't an easy decision for you to make. You considered whether or not to move the family around yet again to another state. You had successfully picked the peak of the property market in all of the other states that you had when you bought at the bottom of the property market when you sold and likewise when you left Western Australia recently you managed to pick it again.

PN18

But you went there for 12 years and most of that time you were an industrial relations manager. For four years you were vice president human resources manager and despite the glossy magazine photos of you in your lycra on your bike and the softer side of the human resource manager role most people knew that you were an industrial relations person at heart. So it wasn't surprising that you then moved on to have two years as IR manager at Exxon Mobil before this appointment. As Mr O'Sullivan has referenced, it's a pretty impressive resume for the role of Deputy President. I've no doubt in your new role, you will be firm, fair and impartial, holding true to the mantra, “without fear or favour.”

PN19

That's the way you were in the resources and energy industry. It's a quality which no doubt will benefit some of the parties before you but not the under-prepared ones. It comes as a bit of a surprise to some here today that in over 20 years that I've known you this is the first time that we've appeared in either a federal or state industrial tribunal together. So I had to go and gather some information from some of your colleagues who appeared with you in tribunals and I'll touch on a couple of those fairly quickly.

PN20

The first one from a Woodside anonymous representative who is also here today is that you have a favourite saying: “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, regardless of what you call it in all likelihood it is a duck.” You may not be aware, Deputy President in 1978 the duck test was cited with approval by the Privy Council and again in a case known as the Porter case in the Federal Court in 1989 and some of your fellow Commission members have cited the duck test, namely Commissioner Bissett and Commissioner Ryan in recent years.

PN21

So in summary some of us who are gathered here today will watch your early determinations with interest and are on duck test alert. One of the things often cited in these proceedings is the requirement to take account of section 578 of the Fair Work Act. This includes the requirement to take into account, equity, good conscience and the merits of the matter in performing your functions and exercising your powers. This will be a pretty simple requirement for you, Deputy President Masson, because it's what you've done throughout your extensive career. It's not a glib throwaway line - I can attest to that from personal experience, when AMMA and its chief executive received some special attention from a couple of now former prime ministers.

PN22

I won't mention their names but suffice to say they weren't called Bob, Paul, John, Tony or Malcolm. I can recall at the time you simply assessed the facts, conveyed these facts to your chief executive at Woodside a decision made in support was provided and for that, I thank you. The two final examples I'll give in relation to your career as an IR advocate and advisor was one from a lady by the name of Lindsay Van Jager, who was BHP Billiton HR manager. She stated as follows:

PN23

During my years at Tenco in Tasmania we had a number of interesting cases. I vividly recall Ian always presented well and was always very supportive and on reflection he did present more like an industrial commission member than an employer representative. I wish Ian all the very vest. He will do a great job.

PN24

MR KNOTT: Finally, in 2014 that very well-balanced IR publication Workplace Express reflected on one of your presentations with the headline, “Woodside executive says, 'Love the act that you're with.'” Well, Deputy President, clearly you're pre-ordained for this role. I trust you both love it and the act that you're with. Again, I congratulate both yourself and Deputy President Millhouse. You will be awesome members of the Fair Work Commission and I wish you all the very best with your vocational and life endeavours, if the Commission pleases.

PN25

JUSTICE ROSS: Thank you, Mr Knott. Ms Palmer.

PN26

MS PALMER: Members of the Commission, Mr O'Sullivan on behalf of the Minister, my friends at the bar table and family and friends of the new appointees - it is my pleasure to acknowledge Deputy President Masson and Deputy President Millhouse and to briefly congratulate you on your appointments on behalf of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. I bring with me the warmest wishes and also the apologies of the offices of the ACTU who are not able to be here to welcome and congratulate you in person. Having only recently moved from the wilds of Western Australia to the coffee shops of Melbourne, I'm yet to meet either of you in person so I'm glad to have the opportunity today before I no doubt appear before you in the near future. Your Honours, today you join an institution that has played a crucial role in shaping Australia's industrial landscape for more than 100 years and that has in so doing shaped the very health of our nation because as those of us in this room may appreciate more than most, our industrial relations underpin the success of our economy and the strength of our social fabric.

PN27

For individual workers access to productive and dignified work is a critical predictor of not only one's material wellbeing and health but one's sense of identity and social inclusion. At a time of great technological and global change and at a time when income inequality in Australia is growing, the work of this tribunal as the independent industrial relations umpire is ever important. In particular the role for this tribunal in balancing competing interests and individual interests with a view to the bigger picture, to the common good and importantly with a view always to equity, good conscience and merit.

PN28

Over the course of its long and continued history the pendulum of this great institution may swing from one extreme to another but ultimately its position as the umpire demands that it finds balance. While many of us here may owe our allegiance to one side of the equation or the other, it behoves us all to remember that businesses and unions, employers and workers alike all benefit from good employment relationships and productive workplaces in which people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. Those are the business that flourish and are best able to meaningfully contribute to our economy and society and to generate decent work opportunities for all.

PN29

Deputy President Masson, you come to this tribunal with a depth of practical industrial relations experience that allows you to stand in the shoes of those who appear before you and truly understand the processes in which they are participating, whether that's navigating organisational change, bargaining the terms and conditions of employment or working through an industrial dispute and that empathy with those who are appearing before you will assist you to enable the parties before you to get the most out of the processes in which they are participating. Necessarily, the roles that you have performed throughout your career and now this new role in particular demand an ability to search for common ground and achieve mutually beneficial results. Deputy President Millhouse, you also in your role as a lawyer and officer of the court and in your leadership role in the bipartisan industrial relations society have a demonstrated ability to see the other side of an argument and to look for shared goals and outcomes. You also bring to the Commission a strong technical background, with your legal experience and expertise. As a woman of a similar age to you, your appointment is encouraging and genuinely inspiring. Your Honours, on behalf of the Australian union movement I warmly welcome and congratulate you both on your appointment. We look forward to working with you, may it please the Commission.

PN30

JUSTICE ROSS: Thank you, Ms Palmer. Ms Wilson.

PN31

MS WILSON: May it please the Commission. I appear on behalf of the Law Institute of Victoria and the solicitors of this state to welcome you both, Deputy Presidents Ian Masson and Amber Millhouse, to the Fair Work Commission. Deputy Presidents Masson and Millhouse, as we have heard, you have both considerable and varied experience and expertise that is required to support the Commission's work in shaping workplace relations law for Australia. Deputy President Masson, you bring an extensive breadth of business experience to this Commission, from your time as a workplace relations executive for the resources and energy industries.

PN32

You've provided advice on a number of mega-resource sector projects and to critical supply change services providers in your past roles at the Australian Mines and Metals Association, Woodside Energy and most recently Exxon Mobil. You have represented some of the largest employers in the resources and energies industries before this Commission and maintained relationships with employee and employer associations over many years. This experience will no doubt prove invaluable to informing the Commission's work in the years ahead and the Law Institute of Victoria is highly confident in the contribution you stand to make in workplace relations law.

PN33

Deputy President Millhouse, you have gained considerable experience in workplace relations law since your admission to legal practice more than a decade ago. The Law Institute of Victoria particularly welcomes the employment litigation experience that you bring to the Commission. Yours of legal practice work as a specialist workplace relationships lawyer for DLA Piper will prove very valuable for this Commission. I note your considerable reputation across Australia as a source of expert workplace relations legal advice. You have assisted all manner of businesses in insuring that their workplace relations operate within our legal framework. Your appointment as Deputy President to this Commission recognises both your considerable expertise gained from working in Australia but also internationally, including in Hong Kong, and the valuable contribution that you will make to the development of workplace relations law. Deputy Presidents Masson and Millhouse, the solicitors of Victoria warmly congratulate each of your on your appointments to this Commission, may it please the Commission. Thank you.

PN34

JUSTICE ROSS: Thank you, Ms Wilson. Deputy President Masson.

PN35

DEPUTY PRESIDENT MASSON: Thank you, President Ross. Good morning, everyone. I'd firstly like to acknowledge my fellow members here today, former members who are in the audience and family, friends and former colleagues who have attended. I'd first like to offer my congratulations also to Deputy President Millhouse on her appointment and I'd also like to thank the advocates, Mr O'Sullivan, Mr Knott, Ms Palmer and Ms Wilson for these generous words. I do note however that hyperbole, exaggeration and half-truth are not unheard of in this courtroom. But on this occasion I am prepared to give the advocates the benefit of the doubt. Thank you again for your kind words, however.

PN36

It certainly is a privilege to be appointed to this institution and I thank the Minister and the government for the confidence that they've shown in me to make such an appointment. I'll make a few brief comments about my journey to this juncture of my career. As was mentioned, I grew up in Newcastle. I left at the age of 22. Growing up in Newcastle in the 1960s and the 1970s, it was hard to be immune from the industrial relations atmospherics of that era with the steel works, coal mines, the state dock yard for those that are old enough to remember, there was barely a week that went by without some publicity to a dispute that was occurring.

PN37

I think that was the earliest time that I can recall industrial relations. Whilst my elder brother, who is not here today, elected to pursue what was then regarded as a job for life - he secured an apprenticeship with the BHP steel works that proved to be somewhat illusory - I elected to attend university. Now, as Mr Knott referenced, my first role - I guess these days it would be called a gap year although if Facebook had have been in existence in those days I'm not sure shots of coke ovens, blast furnace, rod and bar mill which characterised my gap year would have been quite as exciting as the holiday spots of Europe.

PN38

I've often reflected however that the 12 months I spent as a boiler maker's mate in the steel works at Newcastle provided a great grounding for the work that I elected to subsequently do and that is work in industrial relations. At times it felt like it was more value to me than the four years I spent at University in many respects over the years. Inspired by a radical left-wing lecturer in organisational behaviour and a slightly more conservative lecturer in industrial law I resolved at the end of my studies to pursue a career in industrial relations.

PN39

A false start with the Commonwealth Bank which I quickly disposed of after 12 months I then was extremely fortunate to be recruited for a graduate role in Tasmania that my first boss, Mr Rick Reed, is here today and I thank him for his inspired decision-making although at times I'm not sure whether I should thank or condemn him for his decision on that occasion at times when I've been in some major disputes. In the subsequent years I moved through a succession of I guess increasingly more senior roles both in manufacturing and then in the resource sector both with AMMA and then with Woodside and Exxon Mobil, as was summarised.

PN40

Those roles, contrary I think to the Minister's initial press release, have spanned 32 years. I think she was being kind when in a press release she referred to 23 years. I wish that it were so. It's been 32 years. Much to the chagrin of my family that has spanned most states of Australia and many industries. I've had the great good fortune to work across a range of industries and in a range of very different industrial environments. I've seen firsthand the move from centralised to decentralised to the individual nature of our system that we now have. I worked in some toxic workplace environments, some combative workplace environments and some collaborative and productive and I certainly know which ones I prefer to work in.

PN41

I've enjoyed my walks around the factory floor on a daily basis when I worked in manufacturing. I'm not so sure I've enjoyed the visits to the board room in more recent years. From talking to crews 1,000 metres below ground at Mt Lyle to walking around the tapping floor of a smelter at Bell Bay; flying on choppers, wandering around on anchor handlers or being on offshore platforms and rigs, regrettably I've seen the decline of manufacturing firsthand both through my work experience and through family and friends. I've seen the resources boom firsthand and what might be described as the hangover, which we've been experiencing in recent years. It's been a great pleasure to work with some wonderful people over the years and I won't name them. Many of them are here today and I thank them for their presence. I guess what 32 years of industrial relations has taught me is that well-paying, secure jobs which my friend from the ACT has made reference to are not guaranteed. It requires a lot of hard work to achieve and sustain, that the best outcomes in the workplace are achieved through mutually beneficial and agreed outcomes between the parties and the role of this Commission is to support that process.

PN42

This institution has a long and proud history of over a century. The strength of the institution has been - I note some former members who are here today - the quality of the people working in this institution, both the members and the staff. That remains the case. The other strength is that of the diversity of the people who occupy roles in this tribunal and that should, in my view, continue to be a feature of the membership of this institution. There has also been a great capacity for this institution to evolve and respond to the changing economic circumstances and the changing legislative framework that it confronts.

PN43

I'd like to thank the Commission members for their kindness and support in my initial weeks. I probably asked a lot of dumb questions but there has been no hint of intolerance of my questioning and I thank them for that. To those most important to me, my family, my mother and sister are here today down from New South Wales. Thank you, Mum, Leoney. My mother-in-law is here from Bairnsdale, Norma, thank you for coming along. To my wife, Jennifer and my daughters Gabrielle and Edwina, thank you for tolerating those far-too regular and seemingly inevitable moves around Australia.

PN44

To those regular moves add at times prolonged absences from home and those all-too-frequent periods of work stress that did intrude on family life. Thank you for your love and support. I trust that the experience I bring to this role will add to the quality and work of the Commission and I'll certainly endeavour to carry out my functions according to my statutory obligations and with integrity and fairness. Thank you.

PN45

JUSTICE ROSS: Deputy President Millhouse.

PN46

DEPUTY PRESIDENT MILLHOUSE: Thank you, Justice Ross. Mr O'Sullivan, thank you for attending and representing the Minister today. I am delighted to be offered this tremendous opportunity and thankful for the government's confidence in appointing me to this role. I thank my fellow Tasmanian, Steve Knott, for his words and for again ribbing me about the time I declined his job offer. To the representatives of the professional bodies, thank you for your generous welcome. I join each of you in congratulating Deputy President Masson on his appointment. To my family, friends, colleagues and distinguished guests, including present and past members of the Commission, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to each of you for attending this morning.

PN47

I am honoured to be appointed to the Fair Work Commission. My legal career has given me the opportunity to work on a variety of workplace relations matters, often involving challenging issues related to workplace change. As a result I have regularly utilised the services of this Commission on behalf of clients to great benefit. An institution that can trace its history back to 1904, the Fair Work Commission plays a fundamental role in Australian society. The Commission and its predecessor organisations have a long and very proud history in assisting with the resolution of workplace and individual collective disputes.

PN48

It has made a significant contribution to the lives of the Australian people and the businesses and organisations that employ them, a large number of whom avail themselves of the assistance of this Commission without representation. Central to this is the professional commitment of the Commission's members. I continue to admire the broad range of skills deployed by dedicated members in carrying out the functions and powers of the Commission. The Fair Work Act, of course, prescribes that should be done in a way that is fair and just, quick and avoids unnecessary technicalities, is open and transparent and promotes harmonious and cooperative workplace relations.

PN49

As a new, proud member of the Commission I will strive to discharge my duties, having regard to these obligations. Consistent with the oath that I will take this morning I will do my best to provide a fair, just and efficient service to the Australian community who place a great faith in this institution. I do so acknowledging the great responsibility that this position carries. I will decide matters according to the law and without affection or bias. I will endeavour to gain from the parties who appear before me the same respect that I feel for this Commission. My personal values have guided and shaped my career to date. I believe they will support me in this approach.

PN50

My values are reflected in my impartiality, my respect for others and my strong sense of fairness. These values were instilled in me at a young age through my parents, who I'm delighted have joined me today from Tasmania. I would like to thank my parents, Vicki and Tony, for the gifts of a good education and an inquiring mind and for their love and support. Thank you for supporting me through law school and in my desire to move from Tasmania to further my career in workplace relations. To my husband Shane, thank you for your encouragement, counsel and unwavering support. You inspire me daily with your ambition and your humility. To my brother Dean and his family, who have been my bedrock during my time living in Melbourne, thank you to you and Jo for all of your support and for being here today with Jack.

PN51

Thank you also to my parents-in-law, Fran and Jeff Jolley, who are a wonderful support to us. Today is also an opportunity to acknowledge and thank those people in my life who have helped me on my journey to this appointment. To my great fortune, at every stage of my career, I have been wisely guided by others to whom I am most grateful. I would like to thank and acknowledge my former colleagues of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry who gave me my first opportunity to immerse myself in the wonderful world of workplace relations. I extend particular thanks to Chris Gardner, a great legal strategist whose passion for the area of industrial relations is contagious.

PN52

You deliver the highest calibre of legal service and are a wonderful teacher. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me and for your friendship. I also extend particular thanks to Stuart Wood QC, who has been a generous and supportive mentor, has challenged me to be a better lawyer and inspired me with his commitment to the development of many in our field. Thank you also to John Tuck, Nick Ruskin, Henry Skene and Rick Catanzariti and my various colleagues and friends who have joined me today - too many to name. You have each played an important role in my life and my career and you have helped to shape the person I am today, thank you.

PN53

Finally I wish to thank the members of the Commission and their staff, for their incredibly warm welcome and to my associate, Nade Petreska, who has made my first few weeks absolutely seamless. I am honoured by this appointment to the Fair Work Commission. I look forward to contributing to the important work of the Commission and I value the opportunity to very proudly serve the community in this role, thank you.

PN54

JUSTICE ROSS: Before adjourning the proceedings I will shortly invite each of our new members to take the oath of office. Each has formally done so but it's important that it be repeated on this public occasion. It's important because the oath represents the promise of us as members of the tribunal to faithfully and impartially perform the duties of our office and it's a promise made to you, the community that we serve.

PN55

DEPUTY PRESIDENT MASSON: I, Ian Arthur Masson, do swear that I will bear true allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors according to law that I will well and truly serve her in the office of Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission and that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office, so help me God.

PN56

DEPUTY PRESIDENT MILLHOUSE: I, Amber Rae Millhouse, do swear that I will bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors according to law, that I will well and truly serve her in the office of Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission and that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office, so help me God.

PN57

JUSTICE ROSS: I adjourn the tribunal.

ADJOURNED INDEFINITELY [9.46 AM]