Queensland Trade Unionist Michael Weise has been a member of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in the Mining and Energy division since 1989. He discusses his career within the union, as well as significant CFMEU campaigns and efforts such as the re-unionisation of the Pilbara mining region in Western Australia and the Let's Spread it Around campaign.
Howard Guille was the Queensland State Secretary for the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) from 1993 to 2006 and was involved in the 1993 amalgamation of academic unions which formed the NTEU. During his union career he was involved in enterprise bargaining, the Indigenous Stolen Wages Campaign and the Papua New Guinea National Minimum Wage Case.
Trade Unionist Kevin Carroll has been a member of the Building Workers Industrial Union (amalgamated into the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union in 1991) since 1965, and has held prominent roles within both the BWIU and the Trades and Labor Council. He discusses his career within the building and construction industry, and highlights some of the key challenges facing the union movement.
Unionist Janice Mayes was the President of the Federated Clerks Union, later the Australian Services Union, from 1990, and member of the union's national executive until 2006. As a union official, Mayes has worked on various industrial campaigns including workplace bullying, unpaid overtime, privitisation, and issues relating to women.
Trade Unionist Darryl Noack was the North Queensland District Secretary of the Australian Workers Union (AWU) from 2008. He was an elected shop steward of the Federated Ironworkers Association from 1973-79, before serving as a delegate in 1979. He then moved to the Australian Workers Union where he served first as a representative in North Queensland in 1988, before his appointment as a full time AWU organiser in 1993. He reflects on industrial conflict, Indigenous participation and the changing nature of unionism.
Trade Unionist Bill Marklew was appointed Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) in Queensland in 2000. He has been a member of the CPSU since 1994 and played a key role in the organisation of the picket line during the Maritine Union of Australia dispute in Townsville as well as the Our Rights at Work Campaign in Brisbane.
Public servant Linda Apelt was Director General of the Department of Housing (1998-2004), Disability Services Queensland (2004-09) and Department of Communities (2009-12) one of the Bligh Government’s ‘Super Departments’. In this interview she describes the changing relationships between the public service and ministers, and the role of director general.
Labor politician Dean Wells held a number of portfolios during his long parliamentary career (1986-2012) including Attorney-General (1989-95), Minister for Justice (1992-95), Arts (1992-95), Education (1998-2001) and Environment (2001-04). In this interview he reflects on his legal reform agenda.
David Russell QC was the Queensland State President (1995-99) and Federal President (2005-06) of the National Party and a key player in the formation of the Queensland LNP. In this interview he discusses his work on party reforms and his role as a power broker within the National Party.
Labor Party politician John Mickel served as minister for seven portfolios in five years (2004-09) under Premiers Beattie and Bligh, before his appointment to the role of Speaker (2009-12). In this interview John Mickel reflects on his political career. He discusses his time as a political advisor as well as his parliamentary career.
