Speeches & Opinions



Read speeches and opinion articles by ACTU officers and staff.



Our collection contains speeches delivered at conferences, forums, summits, rallies and events by Executive and senior ACTU staff.  It also contains op eds – previously published in mainstream media – by the ACTU President, ACTU Secretary or ACTU Assistant Secretaries.


Recent Speeches & Opinions

The Future of Manufacturing: Dave Oliver speech to Ideas & Society forum, Latrobe University, 3 September 2014

September 3, 2014

ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver proposed some ideas for the future of manufacturing and jobs at an Ideas & Society forum at Latrobe University on 3 September 2014.

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Ged Kearney address to the 2014 ALERA National Conference, 29 August 2014, Gold Coast

August 29, 2014

Ged Kearney addressed the annual conference of the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association on 29 August 2014 about workplace reform in Australia.

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Ged Kearney address to the ACTU National Women’s Conference, 21 August 2014, Melbourne

August 21, 2014

In her opening address to the ACTU National Women’s Conference in Melbourne on 21 August 2014, ACTU President Ged Kearney outlined campaign priorities for unions to advance the working lives of women.

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Ged Kearney address to the National Small Business Summit, 7 August 2014

August 7, 2014

ACTU President Ged Kearney addressed the National Small Business Summit in Melbourne on 7 August 2014.

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ACTU Assistant Secretary, Tim Lyons speech for the 2014 Economic and Social Outlook Conference

July 4, 2014

ACTU Assistant Secretary, Tim Lyons speech for the 2014 Economic and Social Outlook Conference

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Speech by ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver to Wheeler Centre Points of View: Tom Roberts’ ‘Shearing the rams’, 1890

July 2, 2014

ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver took part in a discussion for the Wheeler Centre’s Points of View series on Tom Roberts’ painting ‘Shearing the rams’ on 2 July 2014.

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Gerardine (Ged) Kearney, President, Australian Council of Trade Unions, address to ILC 2014 plenary

June 6, 2014

ACTU President Ged Kearney addressed the plenary session of the 103rd International Labour Conference in Geneva on 5 June 2014.

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Address by ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver to the LabourStart Global Solidary Conference

May 23, 2014

In a keynote address to the 2014 LabourStart Global Solidarity Conference in Berlin, ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver spoke of the need for unions to campaign across borders in the modern, globalised economy.

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Address by ACTU President Ged Kearney to the ACTU Indigenous Conference, Tuesday, 20 May 2014

May 20, 2014

In this address to the ACTU Indigenous Conference in Adelaide on Tuesday, 20 May 2014, ACTU President Ged Kearney discussed the shared history between Australian unions and the Indigenous community, and the response to the 2014 Federal Budget.

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Speech by ACTU President Ged Kearney to Canberra May Day March, 3 May 2014

May 3, 2014

ACTU President Ged Kearney spoke at the Canberra May Day March about the Commission of Audit and the Abbott Government’s attacks on our way of life.

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