AGS - Australian Government Solicitor

AGS advice and assistance on national energy market reform

4 December 2009

Jenny Francis, Danielle Chifley, Adam Kirk, Rebecca Eldred

The drive for efficiencies in Australia’s energy markets has been a major focus of the Commonwealth, in partnership with the states and territories, for nearly 20 years.

AGS has been advising the Australian Government over much of that time, as it worked with the other members of the Council of Australian Governments’ Ministerial Council on Energy to develop energy market policies, institutional frameworks and legislation.

HR Practitioners Forum: how not to dismiss an employee

On 18 February 2010 AGS will hold an HR Practitioners Forum at the National Press Club in Canberra. Commissioner Deegan of Fair Work Australia will give a brief overview of the unfair dismissal and general protections (dismissals) areas of the Fair Work Act 2009. In particular, she will give general advice on how such matters should be handled so as to avoid unnecessary adverse criticism from the tribunal. For more information on the forum, including how to reserve a place, please click here.

AGS's latest Legal Briefing assists clients in dealing effectively with unsatisfactory performance

We recently sent our clients the latest issue of AGS Legal Briefing, No. 92. This publication, by Special Counsel Litigation Paul Vermeesch, examines what effective management of underperformance consists of from a management perspective; the legal framework for effective management of underperformance, including legal risks; and steps which can be taken to minimise legal risks in managing underperformance. + See client login

Announcing AGS’s 2010 Concurrent Courses: ‘Excellence in Government Decision-making’ and ‘Administrative Law Symposium: Commonwealth and New South Wales’

The first event is the 22–26 March 2010 edition of the Excellence course. This course has already been run very successfully twice in 2009. For March 2010, the course will run for 4.5 days and will feature AGS practitioners, academics from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales, and representation from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. + Read more

Update to Grants and funding programs: legal issues now available

Our Legal Briefing 83 is an important text for agencies on legal issues for grants and funding programs. We have recently issued an update to the issue containing commentary on the Commonwealth Grant Guidelines. To read the new issue, please click here.

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