Bossak v Health Secretary in respect of Murrumbidgee Local Health District [2020] NSWIRComm 1009

Industrial Relations Commission New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Bossak v Health Secretary in respect of Murrumbidgee Local Health District [2020] NSWIRComm 1009 Hearing dates: 14 November 2019 Date of orders: 14 November 2019 Decision date: 18 February 2020 Jurisdiction: Industrial Relations Commission Before: Chief Commissioner Kite SC, Commissioner Sloan and Commissioner Webster Decision: Leave to appeal is refused Catchwords: EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL LAW – Industrial Relations Commission – Appeals – victimisation application – obligation on applicant to adduce evidence of both detriment and proscribed reason – mere conjecture as to reasons for unfavourable treatment insufficient to enliven presumption of proscribed reason – whether Commission obliged to raise with parties any authorities on which the Commission may rely

EVIDENCE – Discretions – whether Commissioner obliged to draw Jones v Dunkel inferences – whether Commissioner erred by preferring hearsay evidence over direct evidence – s 163 Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) – s 69 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 69 Health Services Act 1997 (NSW) s 116H Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) ss 130, 163, 188, Ch 5 Pt 1, ss 210(1)(e) and (j), 210(2), 213 Cases Cited: Bossak v Murrumbidgee Local Health District [2019] NSWIRComm 1054 Caleta Trpimir v Northern Sydney Area Health Service [1995] NSWIRComm 38 Davis v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Limited [1998] 81 IR 364 Health Services Union o/b Bruce v Government of New South Wales in respect of NSW Ambulance [2017] NSWIRComm 1036 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Industrial Relations Secretary v Wattie [2017] NSWIRComm 1007 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Lee v Ausgrid (No 6) (2013) 237 IR 63; [2013] NSWIRComm 62 Manly Council v Byrne and Anor [2004] NSWCA 123 Public Service Association and Professional Officers' Association Amalgamated Union of New South Wales v Roads and Maritime Services [2015] NSWIRComm 16 Refugee Review Tribunal, Re; Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82 Twentieth Superpace Nominees v TWU [2006] NSWIRComm 218 Barclay v Board of Bendigo Regional Institute of Technical and Further Education (2010) 193 IR 251; [2010] FCA 284 Board of Bendigo Regional Institute of Technical and Further Education v Barclay (2012) 248 CLR 500; [2012] HCA 32 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Dr Peter Bossak (Appellant)