Coronavirus: Ex-unionist Paul Howes to help drive jobs

Former union boss Paul Howes has been appointed to Scott Morrison’s revamped National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission.

Former top unionist Paul Howes. Picture: Adam Yip

Former union boss Paul Howes has been appointed to Scott Morrison’s revamped National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission, advising the government on new jobs, workplace relations reform and superannuation.

The KPMG Enterprise nat­ional managing partner has replaced Greg Combet on the COVID-19 advisory board after the former Labor minister and ACTU secretary left the commission on June 22.

The Prime Minister said the commission was moving “into a new gear” to support his Job­Maker plan ahead of the October 6 budget.

Mr Howes, a former Australian Workers Union national secretary, is joined on the advisory board by former Bendigo Bank chief Mike Hirst, infrastructure and resources expert Samantha Hogg, Roll’d Group founder Bao Hoang, agriculture sector expert Su McCluskey and Indigenous business leader Laura Berry.

Mr Morrison said he had known Mr Howes, a former ACTU vice-president, for “many years … We certainly haven’t always agreed on everything, as he and I can attest to, but this is about getting people to work together. Paul can bring his experience in superannuation, workforce and workplace relations.”

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter will this week resume talks with union chiefs as part of the government’s working groups involving the ACTU, industry and business leaders.

Mr Combet, chair of IFM Investors and Industry Super Australia, remains involved in the roundtable meetings with Mr Porter.

Josh Frydenberg set up a fight with Labor and the unions last week after flagging that the government would consider extending emergency changes to workplace laws allowing greater flexibility for employers who come off the JobKeeper scheme.

Former Fortescue Metals chief executive Nev Power, appointed to lead the commission in March, will continue as chair alongside deputy David Thodey and commissioners Jane Halton and Paul Little. EnergyAustralia managing-director Catherine Tanna will step down after the completion of her work on utilities and energy.

COVID-19 commissioners receive $2000 a day for up to two days a week, with remuneration arrangements for the new board members still to be finalised.

Mr Morrison said the advisory board would support the government’s JobMaker plan, providing strategic advice on “what more could be done to create as many jobs as quickly as possible to accelerate economic recovery”.

He said the COVID-19 commission would work “within government” and not as an external agency and would form part of the federal cabinet’s “deliberative processes”.

Andrew Liveris, former chairman of The Dow Chemical Company who is leading the Northern Territory’s Economic Reconstruction Commission, continues as a special adviser to the COVID-19 commission, with a focus on manufacturing.