Kenner appointed chief of Industrial Relations Commission

After more than two decades with the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, lawyer Stephen Kenner has been promoted to the role of chief commissioner.

Mr Kenner was made senior commissioner in 2016, after being appointed to the WAIRC in 1998.

In that time he has overseen an array of industrial disputes and employment issues in the state’s industrial relations system.

Mr Kenner has had a lengthy career in industrial relations, having previously worked as a solicitor and partner at Mallesons Stephen Jaques and served as a senior industrial advocate at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia.

Perth-based barrister Rachel Cosentino, who previously led the general law division at Slater & Gordon, has been appointed to replace Mr Kenner as senior commissioner.

Industrial Relations Minister Stephen Dawson said the commission would have an expanded role to play once the state government implemented its long-awaited industrial relations reforms.

Following a report into the state’s industrial relations system, the state government indicated that it wanted to implement a suite of its recommendations, including an equal remuneration framework and an expansion of the definition of 'employee'.