CONFERENCE program

IRSNSW 2023 Annual Conference

BACK TO THE FUTURE: REFORMING OR RECYCLING

DRAFT PROGRAM

FRIDAY 12 MAY 2023

Gibraltar Hotel Bowral
12-14th May 2023

REGISTRATION FROM 9:30AM. TEA AND COFFEE WILL BE AVAILABLE.

SESSION ONE

SESSION CHAIR

John Counter
Consultant, President irsnsw

9:50am

Conference Open and Welcome

Fiona Corbett
National Manager Workplace Advice, Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors, irsnsw Conference Convenor

10:00 - 11:20am

Enterprise Agreement - where to now?

Scott Barklamb 

Director, Workplace Relations, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Jo-anne Schofield
National President, United Workers Union

Professor Andrew Stewart 

The John Bray Professor of Law, Adelaide Law School

11:40am-12.40pm

Political Perspective

Hon Tony Burke MP -  To be confirmed

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations

Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash 

Shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations

12:40PM - 1:40PM - LUNCH IN THE OBSERVATORY

SESSION 2

Session Chair

Dr Mihajla Gavin
Senior Lecturer, UTS Business School
Treasurer irsnsw

1:40pm - 3.00pm

Addressing the skills shortage - have we progressed?

Alex Grayson 

Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn

Nigel Ward 

CEO and Director, Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Professor Sara Charlesworth 

Professor Emeritia, RMIT University

3:00PM TO 3.20PM - AFTERNOON TEA IN GIBRALTAR BALLROOM

SESSION THREE

Session Chair

Zoe McQuillan
Special Counsel, Piper Alderman
Member Executive Committee irsnsw

3:20pm - 4.40pm

Are our workplaces safe, fair and productive?

Professor Rae Cooper 
Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations, Work and
Organisational Studies, The University of Sydney Business School

Daniel Walton 
National Secretary, Australian Workers Union

Brian Seidler
Executive Director, Master Builders Association

6:30PM DRINKS IN THE OBSERVATORY

DINNER (CASUAL) 7PM

Year in Review

Dilan Mahendra 
Barrister

Over drinks and dinner Dilan will remind us why we love industrial relations by

reviewing the year that was, the legislation, the participants, the cases, the

highs and the lows.

SATURDAY 13 MAY 2023

BREAKFAST FOR THOSE STAYING AT GIBRALTAR HOTEL FROM 6.30AM

SESSION FOUR

Session Chair

Thomas Costa
Assistant Secretary, Unions NSW

10:00am - 11.05am

The changing role of the IR practitioner in the era of compliance.

Luis Izzo 
Managing Director – Sydney Workplace – Australian Business Lawyers &
Advisors

Leah Brown 
Partner, Deloitte Australia

Judith Wright
Deputy Secretary, Australian Services Union

Commissioner Alana Matheson 
Fair Work Commission

Chief Commissioner Nichola Constant
NSW Industrial Relations Commission

11.45PM TO 12 NOON - MORNING TEA IN GIBRALTAR BALLROOM

SESSION FIVE

12:00 - 1.00pm

Debate Moderator

Christa Lenard
Partner, Kingston Reid
Vice President irsnsw

Topic to be announced

Various Debaters to be announced.

1PM CONFERENCE CLOSE

LUNCH 1PM IN THE OBSERVATORY

6:30PM - PRE DINNER DRINKS IN THE GIBRALTAR BALLROOM

7PM - DINNER (LOUNGE SUIT)

Dinner Speaker

To be decided

Entertainment

Matt McLaren

Matt's style seamlessly blends old-school classics with modern hits from a variety of genres including pop, rock, dance, blues and funk.