Coalition appointee Mark Wooden dumped from Fair Work Commission wage review panel

Labour economist Mark Wooden described his treatment by the Fair Work Commission as ‘totally disrespectful’.

Mark Wooden says he only found out he had been dumped after he emailed the chambers of the new commission president. Picture: Arsineh Houspian.

Labour economist Mark Wooden has been dropped as an expert panel member from this year’s annual wage review, with the Coalition-appointed adviser declaring his treatment by the Fair Work Commission to be “totally disrespectful”.

Mr Wooden said former Labor minister Martin Ferguson had also been replaced on the wage review panel but he did not know whether the ex-ACTU president had been dropped or he had made himself unavailable.

The Australian has sought comment from Mr Ferguson and the commission.

Mr Wooden said he only found out he had been dumped after he emailed the chambers of the new commission president, Adam Hatcher, asking about this year’s annual wage review.

He said he received an email from the president’s associate, telling him two new panel members had been appointed to the review and that he was not on the panel.

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke announced this week the appointment of three new expert panel members – senior treasury economist Mark Cully, professor of gender and employment relations at the University of Sydney Business School Marion Baird and Leonora Risse, a senior lecturer in economics at RMIT University.

Mr Wooden said the president’s associate told him Mr Cully and Ms Baird had been appointed to the panel and “as a result, your services are no longer required”.

“It’s very disrespectful at a minimum,” he said. “But the bigger issue is: what are the politics going on behind this?”

In 2020, the wage review panel proposed a $13 a week minimum wage increase for the low-paid but Mr Wooden, appointed that year by then attorney-general Christian Porter, issued a dissenting report recommending “no increase”.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus last year called on the Morrison government to consider removing Mr Wooden from the panel after he described Labor’s pledge to boost Australians’ pay packets as “political games” given governments had limited levers to pull.

At the time, Mr Burke, then the opposition’s workplace relations spokesman, said he was deeply concerned that Mr Wooden’s “intervention” jeopardised the integrity of the wage review process.

Mr Wooden said on Thursday he could only speculate on why he was removed, adding: “All I know is it is true that in the recent past Sally McManus has certainly requested for me to be dismissed.”

Mr Wooden’s position was by statutory appointment for five years. While he has not been appointed to the wage panel, he has not been sacked.

However, it is likely he will have no work to do. He is only paid when sitting as a panel member. “I’m still on the panel but my services are not required,” he said.