The Latest Breaking News from DEWR

Federal government paid $3.8m in personal protection for then CFMEU administrator

Senate committee also hears Murray Watt needed personal security after sending the union into administration

The Guardian - AU · Jun 2

‘Gobsmacked’: Australian workplace relations department to replace short-term staff with third-party contractor

Workers and union say outsourcing will mean loss of knowledge and experience needed to help ‘very vulnerable people’ waiting for government payments

The Guardian - AU · Jan 29

Almost half of people using employment providers threatened with payment suspensions, new data shows

Government not maintaining ‘effective oversight’, with majority of decisions being overturned, commonwealth ombudsman found

The Guardian - AU · Dec 14, 2025

More than 10,000 jobseeker payments may have been wrongfully reduced or cancelled, government says

Australia employment department announces more payment system pauses due to it not ‘operating in alignment with the law’

The Guardian - AU · Mar 21, 2025

Payslip wars: Australian jobseekers suffer harassment in ‘a crazy system that doesn’t work for anyone’

Private job providers can claim public money when jobseekers find work. But they need their payslips to do so, and some resort to extreme methods to get them

The Guardian - AU · Apr 27, 2024

Major Australian employment service accused of claiming credit for work jobseeker found herself

Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian Australia suggest job provider APM referred woman for role she had already won; APM deny wrongdoing

The Guardian - AU · Dec 26, 2023

Jobseekers say Australia’s employment system forcing them into jobs with ‘terrible hours, conditions and pay’

Workers claim they have been forced to clean up human faeces, had payments cut off after a death in the family and have had to cancel work to attend provider appointments

The Guardian - AU · Dec 25, 2023

DEWR and AEC on the hunt again for new Canberra office

Broadcast studio, on-site childcare, and a 'command centre' are on the wish list.

The Canberra Times · Nov 21, 2023

Jobseekers receiving Centrelink payments say they're being 'penalised' for studying

One month into the rollout of the new $7 billion Workforce Australia system, jobseekers and students are reporting mass confusion and inconsistencies.

ABC News · Aug 10, 2022