Fair Work deputy under fire for scantily clad figurines

‘Inappropriate’ Anime-style female figurines were removed from deputy president of Fair Work’s office, hearing told.

Fair Work Deputy President Gerard Boyce Picture: Supplied

Fair Work Commission deputy president Gerard Boyce was forced to remove his collection of Anime-style female figurines, including at least one that was "scantily-clad", from his chambers after complaints from staff and the intervention of senior colleagues.

Fair Work general manager Bernadette O’Neill also revealed that Mr Boyce installed a surveillance camera in his chamber after the complaints.

Mr O’Neill told a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday that the display of more than ten figurines by Mr Boyce in his chambers was “inappropriate”.

Ms O’Neill said she saw photos of two of the figurines including one that was a “scantily clad” female figurine. “The other one I am not sure was even human,” she said.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne, representing the Industrial Relations Minister, Christian Porter, told the hearing that any conduct that demeaned or disrespected women was completely unacceptable.

She said it was the first time she had heard about the display of the figurines and would raise the matter with Mr Porter.

A spokesman for Mr Porter said the issue was matter for commission president Iain Ross, who later declined to comment

Mr Boyce, a barrister, is a former New South Wales manager of the Australian Mines and Metals Association and was appointed to the tribunal by the Coalition.

Ms O’Neill said the figurines were Mr Boyce’s “hobby” and she believed he made them before displaying them in his chambers.

Ms O’Neill said concerns were raised about the figurines by colleagues and some expressed them directly to Mr Boyce who removed them for his workplace after action by “senior colleagues”.

She said he later installed a surveillance camera in his chamber after the complaints were made about the figurines.

Ms O’Neill said Mr Boyce told her that the surveillance camera in his office was “fake” or not working.

The committee heard Mr Boyce also put a life-size cutout of US president Donald Trump in his chambers.

Mr Boyce had previously been accused of making political partisan comments on social media while serving on the commission.

Labor’s industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke said the evidence to the committee showed Mr Boyce had engaged in “truly bizarre behaviour”.

“The Government must explain how they think Mr Boyce is a fit and proper person to hold this important position,” he said.

“The conduct revealed today will undermine trust in the professionalism of the commission. The Government must act to restore that trust.”

Meanwhile, Labor attacked the Australian Building and Construction Construction after its evidence to estimates on Wednesday about how the agency enforced the government’s building code.

ABCC head Stephen McBurney said the code prohibited head contractors on Commonwealth projects auditing what subcontractors on the same projects paid workers if they were covered by agreements.

But he said ABCC inspectors took photos of hard hats hanging on hooks if they had union stickers on them; took photos of union flags on cranes and photos of union posters. He took on notice a question asking if inspectors took photos of workers on sites.

ALP senator Tony Sheldon said the evidence showed the “ABCC Big Brother was watching your workplace

“On what planet is it OK for government agencies to actively prevent contractors from ensuring that their own subcontractors are paying their workers properly,” he said.