Ged Kearney
Ged Kearney is the current president of the ACTU.
Ms Kearney became a registered nurse in 1985, and has worked in many settings across the public and private acute sectors, predominantly in Melbourne, and has also been a nursing educator, including manager of the Clinical Nursing Education Department at Austin Health. She has a Bachelor in Education.
Ms Kearney was elected the Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation in
April 2008.
She has been an elected official with the ANF since 2003, also serving as Assistant
Federal Secretary, Federal President and Victorian Branch President.
Articles by Ged Kearney
Why having kids shouldn’t spell the end of your career
I was talking to a successful, twenty-nine year old, business analyst recently and something she said just about knocked me…... Read more
Won’t someone please think of the grown-up children
Prins Ralston’s piece yesterday on The Punch highlighted one of the forgotten issues in this election year – how do…... Read more
Finally some relief for working parents
When I look back, I remember the years my four children were young as “The Dark Ages”. Not because they…... Read more
As the holidays end, let’s take stock of how lucky we are
If I was looking for a metaphor for Australia this Australia Day long-weekend, I’d choose the barbecue. A place where…... Read more
We should dole out more money for the unemployed
As the saying goes, “If you think the system is working, ask someone who isn’t”. In Australia, the person you…... Read more
Time to shame nations which support the asbestos trade
It’s 25 years since the manufacture of asbestos stopped in Australia but the shadow it has cast over the lives…... Read more
This developing democracy deserves our attention
Today the world’s most powerful nation goes to the polls in a media-saturated celebration of democracy. Meanwhile 60 million people…... Read more
A blow to single parents, on the eve of Anti-Poverty Week
When the Federal Government announced the mining tax, the mining industry employed an armada of lobbyists, produced reams of reports…... Read more
Paying wages in cash is getting way out of hand
What kind of responsibility do we have to do the right thing? It’s easy to say that doing something which…... Read more
When mining was about mateship, heroes and danger
It was the first day back after a two week Christmas break for the couple of dozen men who worked…... Read more
Did work keep you from your family yesterday?
Was your Fathers Day a day where the whole family got together, or was there a missing place at the…... Read more
Don’t forget East Germany won 37 gold medals once…
Sometimes a gold medal is only a gold medal. That may hard for some people to believe, particularly in the…... Read more
Down, down, outsourced workers’ wages are down
Every big company has a line about corporate social responsibility, and what it contributes to the community. But there’s always…... Read more
Workplace bullying: The buck stops with the boss
They say that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to stand by and do…... Read more
Deep down we’re all unionists, even the haters
Bill Kelty made a memorable speech last week. Addressing the ACTU Congress Dinner in Sydney, the legendary ACTU Secretary who…... Read more
Job insecurity is a bigger stress than the cost-of-living
“Most of our people have never had it so good”, is what British PM Harold MacMillan bluntly told his country…... Read more
Oh what a feeling, no future!
We throw away last season’s clothes, older-model cars and mobile phones that are out of date. But is our disposable…... Read more
Spare a thought for those who worked this Easter
If you’re reading this on your break at work this Easter Monday, commiserations. If you worked over the weekend, or…... Read more
Some super stuff actually happens in Parliament
I sometimes think there are two kinds of politics in Australia. The stuff that gets reported, and the stuff that…... Read more
Unions represent millions. Mining giants, only a few
In the same way that fish don’t really understand what water is, most Australians (except perhaps those who have come…... Read more
While Labor self-immolates, workers want answers
Most of you political junkies might skip over this piece because it doesn’t involve a hard-edged analysis of who-hates-who in…... Read more
Are you feeling insecure?
Is your job less secure than the one you had five or 10 years ago? Are you a casual worker,…... Read more
Multiculturalism. It’s as Aussie as a lamb roast
Christmas is long gone, New Year is a distant memory, the tennis is on TV and the summer break that…... Read more
And the Scroogie goes to…
I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas yesterday, whatever you ended up doing. I spent the day, as I do every…... Read more
A gorgeous tropical paradise ruined by a cruel regime
While the rest of the world is throwing off the shackles of authoritarian regimes and taking the first steps towards…... Read more
Unions keeping Labor united with workers
For over 100 years unions have been the anchor for the Australian Labor Party. Without the weight of the two…... Read more
Baiada is playing chicken with livelihoods and lives
Until the dramatic events of Friday night, the Baiada Poultry dispute in suburban Melbourne had not had the publicity of…... Read more
If a union did this, all hell would break loose
First Alan, congratulations on your pay rise, and congratulations on Qantas’ profit in the last financial year. But sadly, I…... Read more
Hate is the new debate
If the catch cry of the 60s was “all you need is love” it seems the slogan of the 21st…... Read more
A secure job is no luxury
Sometimes a change creeps up so stealthily that you hardly notice how far it’s gone. That’s how I feel about…... Read more
Unions: out there fighting for ordinary Aussies every day
When I first entered the workforce some two decades ago, becoming a union leader wasn’t even on my radar. I…... Read more
Wage cuts would only add to retails of woe
One of the quirky differences any Australian notices when they go to the USA is the culture of tipping. Lower…... Read more
The flying kangaroo need not be a flying panda
“There Is No Alternative” was a favourite line of Margaret Thatcher’s whenever she was trying to push one of her…... Read more
Attacks on tax lack facts
It’s a little unfashionable to come out in favour of taxation these days. If you read the debate about our…... Read more
Don’t let Australians fall through the cracks
Imagine if there was a minority group in society that was less likely to finish school, less likely to get…... Read more
The only thing to fear from the carbon tax is fear itself
Winston Churchill once said a lie can get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to put…... Read more
It’s never been clearer, there really is no place like home
They say the best thing about travel is that it gives you a better understanding and appreciation of home. That’s…... Read more
Fiji: Franksta’s paradise hides a dark side
When it’s this cold many of us think of escaping to a warm island paradise, but when it comes to…... Read more
Equal pay: Plenty of women are still being left behind
Sometimes we are so busy getting on with our lives we don’t notice history is being made before our eyes.…... Read more
Ask not what the budget can do for you…
It’s not long ago that when people talked about the Federal Budget, the discussion was about more than hand-outs or…... Read more
Unions are still giving ordinary Australians a voice
You can’t understand the history of social progress in Australia without understanding the union movement. Unions have been the way…... Read more
Climate change is real, and someone must pay
I’ve got a confession to make: I’m not a climate scientist. Nor am I an economic modeller. I am the…... Read more
How can they dance when the promises are burning?
Given we don’t have an official national dance, I would like to nominate one. Let’s call it ‘the Election Day…... Read more
Why our poorest workers deserve an extra $28 a week
Each year the debate over the minimum wage seems to be dominated by people who’ll never have to live on…... Read more
Creepy sense of déjà vu over carbon tax
Since the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee made its announcement regarding a price on carbon late last month, Australians may well…... Read more
You call ‘em thugs, I call ‘em foot soldiers of democracy
We’ve had factional thugs and faceless men, dishonourable rats and bloodsuckers, slap-downs and sabre-rattling – union officials have hit the…... Read more
Foreign workers are not the solution to a quick cleanup
The Queensland floods are the most economically damaging natural disaster in Australian history – but as reconstruction begins, we should…... Read more
Fair go: a national character we can be proud of
Notwithstanding the political sensitivities around the day, January 26 should be a time to consider where we’ve come from, what…... Read more
If you’re reading this you’re not on holiday
Are you on annual leave right now? If so, you’re already doing better than one third of Australians who toil…... Read more
Welcome to Generation Fair
From the moment the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, Australia will begin summoning in a new generation –…... Read more
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
@TheStalwart an analyst in Sydney said it was a "sad day" http://t.co/vh4Yu4OgDD. I think he was just exhausted and gave up analyzing
RT @NASA: Amazing views from the International Space Station of Pavlof Volcano erupting in Alaska. http://t.co/vqBkkiOful
US Google Doodle features a girl's touching depiction of her father's return from Iraq http://t.co/4LiRFOntTY
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
