The Prime Minister today thanked Jeff Lawrence for his contribution to working Australians following his decision not to stand for re-election as the Secretary of the ACTU.
For more than 30 years, Jeff has been standing up for the rights of working people and in doing so he has made a valuable difference to workplace relations in Australia.
Jeff leaves a legacy that includes his work to secure real wage increases for our lowest paid workers, his support for the nation's first paid parental leave scheme and his campaign for national workplace safety laws.
But nothing surpasses his efforts in helping to abolish WorkChoices.
Jeff played a crucial role in the ‘Your Rights at Work' campaign alongside the then ACTU Secretary Greg Combet and President Sharan Burrow, that helped see the end of the Howard Government's industrial relations scheme.
He also worked closely with me as Deputy Prime Minister in the development of the Fair Work system, which protects workers from unfair dismissal, guarantees a safety net of rights and conditions including collective bargaining, saw the appointment of an independent umpire and put an end to Australian Workplace Agreements.
Jeff has been a respected, no-nonsense voice in national forums including at last year's tax and future jobs forums.
In his role at the ACTU, he also helped to broker new Government procurement guidelines that place greater emphasis on Australian jobs and workplace rights.
Most recently Jeff has worked with the Government to help secure a pay rise for low paid workers - mostly women in the social and community sector.
I wish Jeff and his family all the best in the future. His tireless advocacy will be missed by working Australians across our nation.