Michaelia Cash Has Been Appointed as Minister for Employment, Following New Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Announcement of His Cabinet on 20 September 2015
Senator Cash comes from an industrial relations background. Prior to being elected to the Senate for Western Australia in 2008, Senator Cash was a Senior Associate at the law firm Freehills (now known as Herbert Smith Freehills) in Perth in its industrial relations law practice, where she worked for nine years. Freehills is a well regarded firm with a long history of acting for employers in major industrial litigation against trade unions in Australia.
In light of this background, Senator Cash is expected to continue the Government's tough stance against unions in promoting the government's industrial relations agenda in the Senate. That agenda includes proposed changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) which are directed toward limiting union bargaining power, particularly in relation to major resource projects.
In recent years, the coalition has struggled to have most of its changes to industrial relations law passed by the Senate. Senator Cash replaces Eric Abetz, who acted as employment minister for two years as part of the Abbot Government. As part of the leadership changes associated with the new Turnbull Government, Senator Cash has also been appointed Minister for Women and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service.
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