Question 1

Which of the following best describes the pattern of state intervention in employment relations in Australia during the Accord era?

Accepted Answer

During the Accord era in Australia (1983-1996), the government adopted a corporatist approach to employment relations. This involved the state playing an active role in working with trade unions and employers to negotiate and implement wage and industrial policies. The aim was to improve economic efficiency and promote social harmony through cooperation between these groups. This approach also involved the government providing social and economic support for workers and their families, such as healthcare, education, and social welfare programs. This period marked a departure from traditional state intervention in employment relations and rejected the neo-liberal approach of minimal state involvement in industrial relations.

Question 2

What is the judiciary, and what is it responsible for in Australia?

Accepted Answer

The judiciary is comprised of the court system, its judges and the supporting infrastructure. It is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the law in order to resolve disputes.

Question 3

What is the legislature, and what is its role in employment relations?

Accepted Answer

The legislature is the law-making body comprising representatives elected by people at periodic elections. It determines the statute law (legislation) that regulates employment relations in Australia at both the state and the federal level.

Question 4

The doctrine of the 'separation of powers' is a key constitutional principle in Western liberal democracies, but how is it applied in the Australian context?

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

Did the Fair Work Commission always exist as a tribunal? Discuss how its role changed during the 1990s and 2000s in Australia.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a statutory agency in the area of employment relations?

Accepted Answer

Both the Fair Work Commission (FWC) and the Remuneration Tribunal are statutory agencies in Australia, with the FWC focusing on workplace relations and the Remuneration Tribunal dealing with the pay of key public office holders.

Question 7

The component parts of the state are often described as:

Accepted Answer

The most commonly recognized component parts of the state are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Choice A is incorrect as politicians are a broader category that includes all elected representatives and not just those in the executive. Choice C is incorrect as the Commonwealth is an international organization and not a component part of the state. Choice D is incorrect as there are component parts of the state, but they may not be limited to the options given.

Question 8

The executive arm of the state is comprised of the elected government and:

Accepted Answer

The public bureaucracy is responsible for advising, administering, and implementing policies, making them an essential part of the executive arm of the state. The courts and associated infrastructure are part of the judicial arm, while executives from large companies are not typically considered part of the state's executive arm.

Question 9

The state's role in employment relations includes performing which of the following functions?

Accepted Answer

The state's role in employment relations includes performing all the functions mentioned in the options given (employer of labour, provider of collective goods, conciliator, arbitrator, mediator, legislator, and labour-market regulator).

Question 10

What employment relations responsibility does the Minister for Employment have in the Turnbull government, elected in 2015?

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Claus Offe (1975) argued that the state performs two general functions in capitalist societies. What are these?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

List four (4) reasons often given for the outsourcing of government services. Include two efficiency reasons and two political reasons.

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

What is 'corporatism' in the Australian context? Give an example.

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

What is marketisation? Give examples.

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

'The state has historically played a much larger role in the regulation of employment and employment relations in Australia than it has in comparable industrialised countries.' Discuss, with reference to the changing patterns of state intervention in Australia.

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

What is managerialism? Give examples.

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

What was the core feature of the traditional form of state intervention in employment relations in Australia?

Accepted Answer

The core feature of the traditional form of state intervention in employment relations in Australia was compulsory conciliation and arbitration. This means that if a dispute arose between employers and employees, they were required by law to go through the process of conciliation and arbitration in order to resolve the issue. This was seen as a way to prevent strikes and maintain industrial peace.

Question 18

The legislature:

Accepted Answer

The legislature is a law-making body and in Australia, it is in the form of a bicameral federal parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Question 19

Is the doctrine of the 'separation of powers' important in Australia? Discuss.

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

List any four federal employment relations tribunals, courts or agencies

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 4: The State