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Greg Combet
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Greg Combet
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Gregory Ivan Combet AO (/ˈkɒmbeɪ/; born 28 April 1958) is the chairman of Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund. Prior to this he served as chair of the Australian Government Net Zero Economy Agency, establishing a government authority to oversee the economic transformation from fossil fuels to renewable energy and net zero emissions.

Key Information

Combet was for many years an Australian labour movement leader. He is a former Labor politician and Cabinet Minister, former leader of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, former leader of profit-to-member superannuation funds and chair of investment manager IFM Investors.

Combet holds degrees in Mining Engineering and Economics, has a graduate diploma in Labour Relations and the Law, and has been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of South Australia, the University of Newcastle, and an honorary doctorate of engineering from the University of New South Wales.

He was elected member for the New South Wales Federal seat of Charlton for the Australian Labor Party at the 2007 election and was immediately appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement in the First Rudd Ministry on 3 December 2007.

Over the ensuing six years Combet was appointed to numerous Ministerial roles. These included responsibilities in the Climate Change, Defence and Industry portfolios. Combet was the Minister for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation in the Gillard Government and in this role successfully negotiated and legislated a carbon pricing scheme that reduced Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.[1]

Combet announced his resignation from the ministry on 26 June 2013[2][3] following Julia Gillard's defeat in a leadership ballot.

He retired from politics at the 2013 election.[4]

Following his retirement from Parliament Combet worked as a company director and consultant. In 2020, Combet was appointed to the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission to "provide strategic and policy advice" for the Morrison Coalition government.[5]

Early life

[edit]

Greg Combet was born in Sydney and attended Eastern Creek Primary school, then Rooty Hill High School from years 7 to 10.[6] He completed his secondary education at Baulkham Hills High School.[6] He was later educated at the University of New South Wales where he studied mining engineering,[7] and then graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics, and a Graduate Diploma in Labour Relations and the Law. He was a project officer for the New South Wales Tenants' Union, before working for the Lidcombe Workers' Health Centre. In 1987, he was employed by the Waterside Workers' Federation, now part of the Maritime Union of Australia.

Union activity

[edit]

Combet's association with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) began in 1993 when he became a Senior Industrial Officer. In 1996 he was elected Assistant Secretary and in 1999 following the retirement of Bill Kelty, he became Secretary. Over his time at the ACTU, Combet has co-ordinated many union campaigns, and rose to prominence during the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute. Combet led successful campaigns to secure entitlements and compensation for the staff of the collapsed airline Ansett Australia, and in 2004 led the fight for asbestos victims of the James Hardie company. The asbestos compensation fund established at that time has paid out in excess $2 billion to victims over the ensuing 20 years. Combet cites the asbestos compensation fund in his autobiography as an especially proud achievement. In his capacity as Secretary of the ACTU, Combet led the Rights at Work campaign against the Howard government's WorkChoices industrial relations law changes.

Parliament

[edit]
Combet speaking in November 2005, shortly after the Government introduced its WorkChoices legislation

On 4 May 2007 Combet announced his intention to run for the safe Labor seat of Charlton in Newcastle, New South Wales.[8]

On 14 June 2007 Jeff Lawrence, National Secretary of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) was elected unopposed as the next Secretary of the ACTU to succeed Combet.[9]

Combet speaking at the Your Rights at Work rally in Melbourne, 15 November 2005
Combet explaining the effects of the proposed carbon pricing mechanism in 2011 during a public forum at Petersham town hall

Combet was elected as the new member for Charlton on 24 November 2007 as part of the ALP's victory in the 2007 Australian federal election, achieving a two party preferred swing of 4.47 per cent, winning 62.87 per cent of the two party vote.[10] Following the election, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed Combet as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement in the First Rudd Ministry. He was sworn in on 3 December 2007.[11] In February 2009, Combet was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, with a focus on emissions trading, to assist Climate Change Minister Senator Penny Wong.

6 June 2009 Combet became Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change. Combet's portfolio was amended into April 2010 to Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and Minister for Defence Materiel and Science[12] and to help him focus on the Government's energy efficiency programs, he axed part of this scheme—Home Insulation Program (HIP) in late April due to the safety risks and the blow-out in funding.[13][14]

Combet was re-elected to Charlton at the 2010 federal election, suffering a post-redistribution two party swing of 0.24 per cent, winning 62.67 per cent of the two party vote.[15] After Labor was returned to government in this election, Combet entered Cabinet, succeeding Wong as Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Following the passage of the government's Clean Energy Bill, the portfolio of Industry and Innovation was added to Combet's responsibilities.

Combet had decided to step down over health concerns prior to Prime Minister Gillard's defeat in a leadership spill on 26 June 2013, but brought this decision forward and announced he would step down as minister and not contest his seat in the upcoming election.[2][3][16] The seat of Charlton was subsequently won for the ALP by Combet's former advisor and chief-of-staff Pat Conroy.[17]

Post political career

[edit]

Since leaving parliament, Combet has worked as a consultant to unions, governments and business and as a company director. Combet worked primarily with industry superannuation funds from 2013 to 2024 and in December 2018 became chair of Industry Super Australia and Chair of IFM Investors, a global asset management business owned by the industry superannuation funds.

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Combet was appointed to "provide strategic and policy advice" for the Liberal Morrison government.[18] In this role he helped create the JobKeeper program that sustained millions of people during the pandemic.

Combet, writing in The Guardian in late‑2021, describes Australia's failed climate policies and argues that a sensible energy transition is indeed possible. In 2023 he was appointed by Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, to chair the Net Zero Economy Agency to oversee the transformation of the economy to net zero emissions.[19]

Combet was appointed chairman of the Future Fund in February 2024.[20] The Future Fund is the largest financial asset of the Australian Government.

Personal life

[edit]

On 12 June 2006, Combet was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to industrial relations and through advocacy for the improved health and safety of workers, including people affected by asbestos-related diseases, and to the community.[21] He was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours.[22]

Combet is separated from his second wife and in 2012 began a relationship with ABC-TV newsreader Juanita Phillips, who he lives with on the Northern Beaches.[23][24]

Combet is the son of a winemaker and grew up on the Penfolds Minchinbury Estate in western Sydney. He is well known for breeding Gouldian finches.

In 2014, Combet published his autobiography The Fights of My Life.[25]

In the 2007 ABC-TV series Bastard Boys, dramatising the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute, in which Combet was heavily involved, the role of Combet was played by Daniel Frederiksen.

See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Greg Combet

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Gregory Ivan Combet AO (born 1958) is an Australian former trade union official and politician who led the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) as secretary from 2000 to 2007 before entering federal parliament as a Labor member for the New South Wales seat of Charlton from 2007 to 2013. In government under Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, Combet served in multiple ministerial roles, including Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 2010 to 2013, where he oversaw the introduction of a carbon pricing mechanism that faced significant opposition and was later repealed. His earlier union career involved advocating for workers' rights, notably securing compensation for asbestos victims through legal action against manufacturers. Following his retirement from politics ahead of the 2013 election, Combet transitioned to advisory and leadership positions in finance and policy, including chairing the boards of IFM Investors since 2021 and the Future Fund from June 2024, as well as leading the Net Zero Economy Agency to coordinate Australia's emissions reduction efforts.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family Origins

Gregory Ivan Combet was born on 27 April 1958 in , , to Ivan Louis Combet, known as Tod, and his wife. His father worked as a at the Penfolds Minchinbury Estate in the western suburb of Rooty Hill, where the family resided amid the estate's vineyards and production facilities. The Combets traced their roots to French migrants; Combet's paternal grandfather, Leon Ivan Combet, had also managed operations, continuing a lineage tied to champagne production in before immigration to . This heritage reflected a tradition of skilled craftsmanship in , with the family adapting to Australia's agricultural landscape through hands-on estate work rather than reliance on external aid. Combet grew up in Rooty Hill's modest western suburbs environment, the first in his family to attend , which underscored pathways of personal advancement available through and merit in post-war . His mother hailed from a background aligned with the Country Party, indicating rural conservative influences that contrasted with urban industrial settings but emphasized practical self-sufficiency in family endeavors. The family's circumstances involved relocation when his father faced health challenges, prompting adaptation to new living arrangements while maintaining ties to pursuits. Early life on the Minchinbury Estate exposed Combet to the rhythms of seasonal labor and production, fostering an appreciation for operational pragmatism in a competitive industry. These origins in a migrant , operating within Sydney's expanding outer suburbs, highlighted empirical opportunities for stability through skills and enterprise, distinct from broader narratives of systemic disadvantage. Combet's upbringing included an older sister, and the household navigated typical working- dynamics, with his father's oratory skills in community groups like Rotary modeling public engagement rooted in local involvement rather than abstract ideology.

Academic and Early Professional Background

Combet completed a in at the , graduating with first-class honours in the early 1980s after gaining required industry experience. He subsequently pursued a at the , completing it part-time while working in the mining sector, which provided foundational knowledge in resource extraction, operational efficiency, and economic principles underlying industrial productivity. Following his engineering degree, Combet entered the mining industry directly, working initially as a in and later in minerals exploration in during the late 1970s and early 1980s. These roles involved hands-on technical work in underground and surface operations, emphasizing practical applications such as safety protocols, equipment maintenance, and resource assessment, which honed his understanding of labor-intensive and the causal links between workforce skills, technological inputs, and output efficiency. His early professional experiences in mining underscored the empirical realities of productivity constraints in resource sectors, including geological uncertainties and machinery limitations, informing a pragmatic approach to industrial challenges that prioritized evidence-based improvements over ideological abstractions. This technical grounding later influenced his deliberate shift toward industrial relations, as he recognized the need for economic analysis to address systemic inefficiencies observed firsthand in mining operations.

Trade Union Career

Initial Union Involvement and Rise

Combet entered the Australian trade union movement in 1987, accepting a position as industrial officer with the Waterside Workers' Federation (WWF), a role that marked the union's first such appointment since the early 1950s. His engineering qualifications, including a Bachelor of Mining Engineering from the University of New South Wales, equipped him to engage in technical workplace negotiations on the waterfront, where disputes often involved operational efficiencies and labor conditions amid deregulatory pressures. Over the subsequent years, he advanced within the WWF structure, handling industrial relations for Sydney operations and contributing to the federation's adaptation to waterfront reforms initiated under the Hawke government. By the early 1990s, as union membership stagnated around 2.6 million despite employment growth—reflecting a decline from approximately 50% in the early to 40% by 1992—Combet transitioned to broader organizational roles that emphasized internal consolidation to counter eroding . In 1993, he joined the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), initially focusing on campaign coordination and strategies to bolster union hierarchies amid causal pressures from enterprise bargaining and casualization, which reduced traditional membership bases. This period saw unions pivot toward aggressive organizing models, with Combet advocating reallocation of resources to targeted sectors, as declining necessitated intensified efforts to retain influence through structural reforms rather than sheer numbers. His ascent culminated in to senior ACTU positions by the mid-, positioning him as a key figure in navigating the shift from mass membership to leveraged institutional power, including early explorations of superannuation oversight that would later amplify union asset control. Empirical trends underscored this dynamic: while overall union density fell to around 35% by the late , strategic roles like Combet's enabled consolidation of authority in core industries, compensating for membership losses through focused advocacy and inter-union amalgamation drives.

Leadership in Major Industrial Disputes

Combet, serving as of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), coordinated the union campaign during the 1998 waterfront dispute, collaborating closely with Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) National Secretary John Coombs to mobilize solidarity actions against Patrick Stevedores' restructuring efforts. The dispute intensified on 7 April 1998 when Patrick, with government support, abruptly sacked and locked out approximately 1,400 unionized wharf workers across its operations, aiming to replace them with non-union labor amid longstanding concerns over inefficiency and high costs. Combet organized mass rallies, port blockades, and legal challenges, including a successful appeal that deemed Patrick's actions unlawful under trade practices law, leading to the reinstatement of most sacked workers by late June 1998 after 10 weeks of disruption. These tactics secured short-term concessions, preserving core union conditions and preventing the full de-unionization of Patrick sites, with workers returning under negotiated productivity protocols that maintained structures while introducing shift flexibility. However, the dispute imposed substantial economic costs, including halted cargo handling at major ports like and , which delayed exports and strained small businesses dependent on reliable supply chains, with broader trade losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars amid a national focus on waterfront reform. Critics of the union , including industry groups, contended that prolonged militancy exacerbated pre-existing shortfalls—where Australian wharves operated at 20-50% of international benchmarks—undermining national competitiveness by deterring and prolonging reliance on overstaffed operations. Post-settlement data underscores long-term causal effects favoring over resistance: crane productivity doubled and output per worker hour quadrupled within three years, enabling the industry to handle increased volumes with fewer staff, but resulting in net job reductions of around 600 at Patrick alone and a national decline in wharfie employment from over 3,000 to fewer than 1,000 by the . While unions highlighted preserved conditions for remaining employees, empirical outcomes reveal that initial gains yielded to structural job displacement as efficiency gains outpaced volume growth, illustrating how dispute militancy delayed necessary adjustments at the expense of sustained employment in a globally competitive sector.

Role as ACTU Secretary

Greg Combet was elected Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in 2000, succeeding Bill Kelty, and held the position until 2007. In this role, he focused on national-level strategies to counter the government's industrial relations agenda, emphasizing policy advocacy and electoral mobilization over operational dispute handling. Under his leadership, the ACTU coordinated opposition to reforms such as the 2005 legislation, which aimed to individualize contracts and restrict . The ACTU's "Your Rights at Work" campaign, launched in response to , involved extensive public and organizing, with unions collectively spending approximately $20 million on media efforts by mid-2007. Combet positioned the campaign as a defense of basic employee entitlements, framing the reforms as eroding and family stability; ACTU polling indicated widespread voter concern, contributing to an estimated 3 percent additional swing against the in targeted marginal seats during the 2007 federal election. This mobilization strengthened union influence within Labor Party circles, reinforcing the ACTU's role in shaping opposition platforms, though the strategy relied heavily on affiliated unions' resources amid declining overall membership. Combet advanced the ACTU's involvement in superannuation as a lever for broader economic influence, advocating that union-controlled industry funds prioritize "good " in investment decisions and . By the mid-2000s, industry super funds managed over $100 billion in assets—representing a significant portion of the growing national pool exceeding $600 billion—enabling unions to exert pressure on company boards through and , though this raised questions about alignment with pure maximization. Such tactics expanded union sway beyond traditional bargaining into financial spheres, with Combet arguing they supported long-term worker interests via ethical investments. Efforts to unify fragmented unions included renewal strategies like organizing drives and congresses promoting a "new Australian consensus," but these yielded mixed results amid structural challenges. Union density declined from 24.5 percent of employees in August 2000 to 19.3 percent by August 2007, per data, reflecting broader trends of casualization and competition from non-union sectors. Critics, including policy analysts, contended that Combet's emphasis on high-profile political alliances with the Labor Party—evident in coordinated election funding and policy alignment—prioritized partisan gains over innovative membership recruitment, exacerbating the disconnect from a shrinking base of non-unionized workers. This approach, while effective in blocking specific reforms, underscored tensions between advocacy for affiliated political goals and direct representation of an eroding workforce.

Criticisms of Union Tactics and Influence

Critics of Combet's union leadership, particularly during his tenure as ACTU in the late 1990s and Secretary from 2003 to 2010, have accused him of endorsing tactics that prioritized union power over , exemplified by his coordination of the response to the 1998 Patrick Stevedores waterfront dispute. In this conflict, union blockades and halted operations at major ports for weeks, disrupting supply chains and imposing short-term trade losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, while underscoring deeper structural inefficiencies from restrictive work practices that had long burdened the sector. Business advocates, including stevedoring executives, argued that such militancy not only exacerbated immediate disruptions but also signaled to international investors the risks of operating in a union-dominated environment, contributing to the relocation of some cargo handling overseas and perpetuating Australia's reputation for uncompetitive ports prior to post-dispute reforms. Under Combet's ACTU stewardship, affiliated unions channeled significant financial resources to the Australian Labor Party, with disclosures showing millions in donations during election cycles that critics contend created capture, tilting reforms away from productivity-enhancing measures like flexible hiring toward protections that insulated union strongholds at the expense of national competitiveness. For instance, opposition to Howard-era changes, framed by Combet as defending workers but decried by employers as entrenching power imbalances, delayed labor market adjustments that economists linked to stagnant growth in non-unionized sectors and higher overall persistence. This funding dynamic, where unions supplied up to 80% of Labor's campaign resources in some periods, fostered accusations of causal distortions in electoral outcomes, as party platforms increasingly accommodated union vetoes on , hindering broader akin to Hawke-Keating era consensus models. Combet's longstanding ties within the drew scrutiny in the 2013 ICAC inquiry into NSW mining corruption, where he testified that former CFMEU mining division leader John Maitland had misled him about a Doyles Creek project disguised as a mine, prompting Combet's supportive letter based on shared union . Maitland, later convicted of misconduct in office alongside figures like , highlighted risks inherent in dense union-political networks, where personal trust from industrial campaigns blinded leaders to potential graft, enabling projects tainted by to gain undue legitimacy. Detractors, including transparency advocates, pointed to this as emblematic of systemic vulnerabilities in union influence, where opaque alliances amplified exposure to corrupt intermediaries, eroding confidence in labor organizations' despite Combet's claims of .

Parliamentary Career

Entry into Federal Politics

In early 2007, Greg Combet, the Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), was recruited by Labor leader as a high-profile to contest the federal election. On 5 May 2007, he was officially confirmed as the Labor for the safe seat of Charlton, replacing retiring MP Kelly Hoare through a factional process controlled by party powerbrokers. This selection highlighted ongoing criticisms of Labor's internal factionalism, where choices often prioritized alliances over broader member input, potentially undermining party democracy and efficiency in responding to voter priorities. Combet's candidacy aligned with union efforts to mobilize voters against John Howard's laws, which had eroded worker protections and fueled widespread backlash. Elected to the for Charlton on 24 November 2007, he secured a significant margin in the safe Labor electorate, contributing to the party's national victory that ended 11 years of rule. Labor's success, achieving 52.7% of the , was partly attributed to ACTU-led campaigns under Combet's prior leadership, which registered over 1.5 million voters and distributed millions in how-to-vote cards targeting marginal seats. As a new government from 2007 to 2009, Combet adjusted to parliamentary procedures, shifting from the confrontational tactics of union organizing—characterized by strikes and public campaigns with limited direct —to the deliberative required in elected , where representatives face periodic electoral judgment. He concentrated on oversight, leveraging his expertise to critique lingering effects of prior reforms within and committees, though the structured legislative environment imposed constraints absent in union roles. This transition underscored the heightened public and institutional of parliamentary service compared to positions insulated from voter mandates.

Ministerial Responsibilities and Policy Implementation

Combet was appointed for Defence on 3 December 2007, tasked with reforming acquisition processes to mitigate chronic delays and cost overruns in major capital projects, such as those identified in ongoing audits revealing systemic inefficiencies in and contractor performance. In this role until 25 February 2009, he initiated reviews of sustainment practices and emphasized better systems integration to reduce lifecycle costs, though defence as a whole continued to accumulate overruns estimated in the billions across portfolios inherited from prior administrations. From 1 April to 14 September , Combet served as Minister for Defence and , overseeing equipment , personnel welfare, and defence initiatives, including the launch of the 2010 Defence Industry on 25 June, which aimed to foster local industry capabilities through targeted investments in while addressing capability gaps exposed by budgetary pressures. His tenure involved coordinating intergovernmental efforts with state authorities on skills for defence-related , yet projects under his purview, like sustainment contracts, faced escalations; for example, broader defence capital programs reported average delays of 21 months and cost growth of 27 percent per the 2009 Major Projects Report, factors exacerbated by leadership transitions that disrupted consistent oversight. Appointed Minister for Industry and Innovation on 14 December 2011, Combet managed federal programs for industrial development, including the $200 million Strategic Fund to support advanced manufacturing clusters and job retention in sectors like automotive and , amid efforts to align skills training with economic restructuring. He coordinated with the (NBN) rollout by promoting innovation grants for infrastructure suppliers, contributing to over 1,000 jobs preserved in related supply chains through 2012, though detractors highlighted protectionist elements in these subsidies as impeding competitive efficiencies and contributing to higher long-term costs. implementation occurred against a backdrop of governmental instability, with the 2010 prime ministerial change from Rudd to Gillard leading to fragmented execution; metrics from the Australian National indicated delays in industry innovation grants averaging 6-12 months, correlating with cabinet reshuffles that shifted priorities and increased administrative overhead.

Climate Change and Energy Initiatives

Greg Combet served as Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 14 September 2010 to 26 June 2013, during which he led the development and implementation of the carbon pricing mechanism as part of the Clean Energy Futures Plan. The mechanism commenced on 1 July 2012 with a fixed price of A$23 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent for emissions from around 60% of Australia's domestic greenhouse gases, transitioning to an emissions trading scheme in 2015, though later repealed. Revenues, projected to raise billions annually, were recycled into household compensation via tax cuts and payments, industry assistance packages, and funding for renewable energy initiatives, with Combet emphasizing its role in market-driven emissions reductions without excessive economic harm. Despite claims by Combet and government modeling of modest costs for cuts and economic transformation, the policy correlated with price increases of approximately 10% directly attributable to the , exacerbating broader retail hikes and drawing criticism for imposing regressive costs on households and energy-intensive industries like steel manufacturing. Empirical assessments post-implementation found limited success in curbing emissions from major polluters, with Australia's contribution to global gases at about 1.5% in 2012 rendering unilateral action of negligible worldwide effect amid China's rapid emissions growth, which exceeded Australia's annual output in roughly 12 days. Combet oversaw expansions and maintenance of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), mandating 20% of electricity from renewables by 2020 through quotas on retailers, complemented by the to incentivize in , and other sources via certificates and subsidies. While the RET spurred renewable capacity additions, critics contended it distorted markets by favoring intermittent over dispatchable baseload, imposing compliance costs estimated to reduce GDP by billions in modeling scenarios and contributing to early signals of supply unreliability, though major blackouts emerged post-tenure. The policy accelerated job displacements in sectors, which supported around 50,000 direct positions, as higher costs and regulatory pressures hit export-dependent amid global demand shifts. Proponents attributed emissions declines in covered sectors to the combined measures, yet analyses highlighted inefficacy given offsetting rises elsewhere and negligible global mitigation, underscoring causal limitations of domestic pricing without broader international alignment.

Political Controversies and Resignation

Combet encountered controversy stemming from his reflections on the , a $2.8 billion Rudd government stimulus initiative launched in February 2009 that installed insulation in over 1.1 million homes but was suspended in February 2010 after four installer electrocutions, more than 200 house fires, and extensive fraud by unqualified operators. As Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 2010, Combet oversaw remedial efforts and testified before the into the HIP, conceding the program's rushed design created inherent vulnerabilities that regulations failed to address, despite efforts to curb rorts through audits and prosecutions. He expressed being "deeply upset" by the fatalities but attributed persistent abuses to unscrupulous installers exploiting lax training requirements, later critiquing in a 2015 ABC documentary the decision-makers' detachment from practical realities: "They've got to at least have the life experience and experience the real economy to say well, shit that's open to abuse isn't it?" This admission underscored accountability gaps in program oversight, contributing to perceptions of wasteful Labor spending amid the global response. Further scrutiny arose from Combet's entanglement in a coal licensing scandal probed by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). In May 2013, he testified about a September 2008 letter he signed as federal MP for Charlton, endorsing a training mine proposal at Doyles Creek for former union associate John Maitland, then head of the Hunter Valley coal mineworkers' division. Combet maintained he had been misled on the application's details, writing the support based on Maitland's representations of job-training benefits without awareness of Maitland's undisclosed equity interests or the project's irregularities, and claimed shock at later revelations of favoritism in the licensing process. The ICAC inquiry exposed corrupt conduct by Maitland and others in securing the license, highlighting risks of undue union-political influence in resource approvals, though Combet faced no formal findings of wrongdoing. Combet's parliamentary exit was precipitated by acute factional strife within the Australian Labor Party. On 26 June 2013, after lost an 57-45 leadership to , Combet—a staunch Gillard ally—resigned from cabinet, rejecting Rudd's to remain as and Industry Minister. He announced his full retirement from politics on 29 June, forgoing re-election in Charlton after three terms, attributing the decision to personal fatigue from 30 years in the labor movement rather than the spill alone. In 2014 disclosures, Combet revealed Gillard had privately offered to yield the premiership to him days before the , an he declined due to lacking the requisite prime ministerial experience. This internal chaos, emblematic of three leadership changes in six years, eroded public trust, with Labor suffering a 4.9% primary vote drop to 33.4% in the 7 September 2013 election, losing 15 seats and enabling a landslide amid voter fatigue over perceived instability and policy mismanagement.

Post-Political Engagements

Corporate Directorships and Advisory Positions

Following his resignation from federal in 2013, Greg Combet transitioned to roles in and funds , leveraging his background in union and . In November 2014, he was appointed as a of Members Equity (), serving on its Audit and Committee as well as the Risk and Compliance Committee. This position involved oversight of a mutual with exceeding $10 billion at the time, focusing on and risk in customer-owned banking operations. Concurrently, Combet assumed the role of chair of IFM Investors in 2014, a global infrastructure investment manager owned by 28 Australian superannuation funds, where he guided long-term investment strategies emphasizing sustainable returns for retirement savings. IFM managed over $100 billion in assets during his tenure, prioritizing infrastructure projects aligned with economic stability rather than short-term market fluctuations. His prior experience as a director of AustralianSuper from 2002 to 2007 informed this focus, though his post-parliament directorships centered on ME Bank and IFM, highlighting a shift to advisory influence in industry superannuation without elected office. Combet also engaged in selective consulting for corporations and governments on economic and industrial matters during this period, drawing on networks from his ACTU and ministerial roles to advise on policy intersections with business. In 2014, he co-authored The Fights of My Life with Mark Davis, a detailing key labor disputes and political battles, which underscored his advocacy for reformed balancing worker interests with enterprise viability. These engagements reflected continuity in promoting long-term investment horizons, though critics have noted that union-derived connections facilitated access to such boards, raising empirical questions about merit versus relational influence in Australian financial appointments absent transparent selection criteria.

Chairmanship of the Future Fund

Greg Combet was appointed Chair of the Future Fund Board of Guardians on 29 January 2024 by the Australian government for a five-year term, commencing on 1 June 2024, to oversee the sovereign wealth fund managing approximately A$212 billion in assets at the time of announcement. The appointment followed Combet's tenure as Chair of the Net Zero Economy Agency and drew early warnings from former Future Fund Chair Peter Costello against diverting the fund toward government-favored "pet projects" in areas like housing or infrastructure, emphasizing the need to prioritize long-term, apolitical returns over short-term political priorities. Under Combet's leadership in his first full financial year, the fund achieved a 12.2% return for FY2025 (ending 30 June 2025), surpassing its mandated benchmark of 6.1% and adding A$27.4 billion to its value, elevating total assets under management to A$252.3 billion for the first time. Combet has overseen strategic reallocations, including an increase in and timberland exposure by A$6 billion to A$28.7 billion as of 30 June 2025, alongside investments in data centers and other assets aligned with like AI, amid broader portfolio adjustments for global economic shifts such as geopolitical tensions and U.S. policy uncertainties. In November 2024, the updated the fund's mandate to encourage profitable opportunities in , , and the , prompting Combet to publicly defend the changes against claims of politicization, asserting they align with duties without compromising returns. Critics, including Costello and other fund architects, have raised concerns that such mandate shifts risk transforming the into a vehicle for off-budget social engineering, potentially eroding its independence and long-term value preservation, particularly given Combet's background in union leadership and which some view as predisposing toward government-aligned investments over purely commercial ones. Combet has countered that criticisms misrepresent the mandate's flexibility, insisting the board retains discretion to pursue only risk-adjusted, profitable strategies, though ongoing debates highlight tensions between the fund's original purpose of intergenerational fiscal buffering and contemporary pressures for targeted domestic spending.

Recent Economic and Investment Activities

In June 2025, under Combet's chairmanship, the announced plans to partially internalize the management of its direct investments in Australian and property assets, aiming to reduce external management fees and enhance operational flexibility amid uncertainties such as potential shifts in trade and fiscal policies. This approach builds on the Fund's existing A$12 billion in local holdings, including stakes in major airports, by shifting from reliance on external managers for select domestic deals, a first for the organization. The Fund also expanded its exposure to high-growth sectors, notably increasing its stake in CDC Data Centres to 34.55% in February 2025 through a subscription to a capital raise funding AI-driven developments across . This move, detailed in Combet's June 17, 2025, speech to the (), positions the Fund to capitalize on demand for advanced computing infrastructure, including expansions in tied to defense-related AI needs. For the financial year ended June 30, 2025, the delivered a 12.2% return, adding A$26 billion to its value and surpassing its benchmark, with gains partly attributed to strategic tilts toward equities and alternatives that buffered against global volatility from geopolitical tensions and fluctuations. In the address, Combet emphasized long-term, diversified strategies over reactive short-termism to sustain sovereign wealth growth, highlighting the need for balanced portfolio adjustments in an era of technological disruption and policy flux.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Greg Combet was first married in the early 1980s, from which union he has one biological daughter. His second marriage, to Petra Hilsen, began around 1996 and included her two children from a prior relationship: stepdaughter Clara (born circa 1984) and stepson Yanni (born circa 1991). The couple separated in 2008 amid Combet's rising political demands, reflecting the strains of high-profile public service on personal stability. Since 2012, Combet has maintained a long-term relationship with ABC journalist , with whom he cohabits on Sydney's ; Phillips brings two children, Marcus and Mischa, from her earlier marriage to Mario Milostic. The pair, both navigating prior divorces and blended family dynamics, have described their partnership as evolving gradually, emphasizing the practical challenges of step-parenting without shared biological children. This arrangement underscores empirical patterns of serial relationships in political circles, where career pressures often disrupt initial family units but facilitate later adaptations.

Health Challenges and Reflections on Public Service

In June 2013, Greg Combet announced his retirement from federal politics ahead of the next election, citing personal reasons including unspecified health problems that caused ongoing discomfort and pain. These issues, described as non-life-threatening but persistent, were compounded by the physical toll of his role as Minister for and Energy Efficiency, involving 18-hour workdays and seven-day weeks that disrupted , diet, and exercise. Combet's final year in exemplified the exhaustion, with only an average of two days per month spent at home due to constant travel and cabinet demands, leaving insufficient time for attention or personal recovery. He later reflected that maintaining became "virtually impossible" in such a ministerial position, where health problems began manifesting amid emotional strain from a deteriorating culture marked by internal divisions and hostility. During mid-2013 discussions about potential transitions, Combet experienced constant pain from these ailments, influencing his decision to prioritize well-being over further responsibilities in a volatile environment. Reflecting on public service, Combet characterized political life as a "selfless pursuit" that paradoxically demanded "cravenly selfish" absorption of one's time, generating a toxic work environment that threatened personal health and democratic health alike. He attributed his exit partly to family obligations, such as supporting his sister's care for ageing parents, underscoring how the role's isolation eroded work-life balance. Despite the burdens, Combet viewed his tenure as fulfilling, having advanced workers' rights and environmental policies like the carbon tax, though he advocated transitioning to market-based mechanisms for emissions reduction. His experiences highlighted the unsustainable nature of frontline politics, prompting a shift to advisory and corporate roles post-retirement.

References

  1. https://www.actu.org.au/media-release/combet-a-champion-of-australian-workers/
  2. https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=YW6
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  107. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/its-my-choice-longtime-abc-newsreader-juanita-phillips-calls-it-quits/news-story/f00e484aa4101f0d60ff07b47a81213f
  108. https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celebrity-news/juanita-phillips-and-greg-combet-open-up-about-their-love-affair-9893/
  109. https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/1647975/combet-tells-of-pain-behind-retirement/
  110. https://meanjin.com.au/essays/political-life/
  111. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/29/gillard-offered-greg-combet-the-prime-ministership-because-of-his-values
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