Former Charlton MP Greg Combet has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
Mr Combet, who was Member for Charlton between 2007 and 2013, was previously made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006.
The latest award recognises his distinguished service to the people and Parliament of Australia, and to the banking and superannuation industries.
"I'm very proud to be awarded this Honour," Mr Combet said.
"Many people in the Hunter region may only know me for my period as a local MP, however this was only for 6 years out of 48 years of my working life.
"This award acknowledges my contributions to society across many of those years in areas like superannuation investment and public service, which I sincerely appreciate."
Mr Combet's association with the Australian Council of Trade Unions began in 1993 when he became a senior industrial officer. He was elected Secretary in 1999 following the retirement of Bill Kelty.
He is best known for his role in the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute.
Since leaving parliament in 2013, Mr Combet has worked as a consultant to unions, governments and business and as a company director.
He became chair of Industry Super Australia and chair of IFM Investors in late 2018.
In 2020, Mr Combet was appointed to the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission to "provide strategic and policy advice" for the Morrison Coalition government.
For the past 12 months Mr Combet has been chair of the federal government's Net Zero Economy Agency.
