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Tony O'Brien

Canberra

Tony O'Brien is a Senior Reviewer with CPM and has over 30 years APS management experience in diverse agencies and roles. He has extensive workplace relations and human resource management experience, and a thorough understanding of the relevant theory, policy and practice. His approach is informed by an acute appreciation of the strategic business imperatives for contemporary public sector workplaces, and the practical implications arising for employers.

From 1987 Tony worked on work organisation and industrial democracy in the then DEIR. He also managed sections responsible for monitoring and analysis of industrial relations issues and developments in key industry sectors (e.g. waterfront, transport, health, education). From 1996 to 2005 Tony was a Senior Commonwealth Advocate. He represented the Commonwealth in the AIRC, including in many major or test cases (e.g. reasonable hours, childcare pay equity, ANZAC Day PH substitution, APS s.170MX award). He was also the Commonwealth Advocate in the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal which sets pay and allowances for uniformed service personnel.

Within DEIR Tony established and led a fee-for-service consultancy practice providing advice and advocacy services across government. A wide variety of agencies chose to use Tony's services, including PM&C, DFAT, Health, Finance, Attorney Generals, AusAID, AEC and the High Court. High client satisfaction and repeat business confirmed that Tony was well regarded for his ability to consistently deliver results and effective and workable solutions.

In 2005 Tony moved to the Department of Infrastructure as National Manager Compliance for transport security. This role gave him valuable in-depth exposure to various security, regulatory, policy and operational issues (e.g. compliance, risk management). He liaised extensively with foreign counterpart agencies, undertook training in the Middle East with counterpart regulators, and reviewed transport security arrangements at ports in the Pacific, Asia, Middle East and North America.

Tony was seconded to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) as Public Administration Specialist in 2007. He advised and managed programs directed to reforming whole of Solomon Islands government HRM (e.g. HRD, official conduct, workforce planning, merit selection and recruitment, payroll administration). After RAMSI, Tony was recruited for an assignment in DAFF where he facilitated the Integrity Unit's transition to changed operating arrangements. This saw him develop robust new processes and procedures for handling misconduct which reflected relevant administrative law principles and requirements, and also conformed to APSC guidance.

In summary, Tony's expertise covers the full spectrum of public sector HRM and ER issues including: agreement making, restructuring, classifications, work value, performance management, code of conduct, review of actions, and dispute management and resolution. He has excellent representational skills and extensive experience advising and representing agencies in industrial tribunals and direct negotiations. He is an experienced and effective negotiator and mediator. He has negotiated numerous industrial agreements and resolved protracted disputes.

Tony has a Master of Employment Relations and a Grad. Dip. Legal Studies (Administrative Law), from the University of Canberra. He is a certified AVSEC Professional Manager (ICAO/Concordia, Montreal). He has completed workplace investigation training (HREOC/APSC), mediation training (IAMA), and negotiation training (Harvard Law School).