Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) is a federal government department responsible for a range of employment and workplace matters in Australia. It plays a role in administering employment services and policies. Recently, the department has been in the news due to admissions that approximately 300,000 Centrelink payments were cancelled illegally. Representatives from the department confirmed this figure, highlighting a significant administrative issue. Additionally, the department was involved in the funding of personal protection for the administrator of the CFMEU, Mark Irving, who faced death threats during his tenure. These events bring the department into public focus regarding its oversight of government payments and its role in industrial relations matters.