Astor Hotel Motel Pty Ltd v Hill [1998] ICQ 8 (1998) 157 QGIG 121

120 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETfE 20 Fchruary, 1998 20 Fehruary, l 99X QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT fNDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 121 ########################################################## TO RE Sl'RSTITliTED FOR JUDC:VIE'.\1T RF,LF:ASED 07' 5 Ft:RRL.ARY 19'JX ()l Tl:\Si.A\I) I:\ [)lSIRlJ\l. ('OlRT Workp/ar, Rda/1on.< At·/ /997 �- '.\60(2) - ,1ppcal from <lcd,ion ()f indu>trial cnmmi.<.•ion Joan llill (No. CM tif 1997) .ll STWF <k Jl(K SI\Y, PKESIJ>E'iT Kl'l'OKT c >\ JI ·l)c ;:,.11,.'\T (as ,·ditcd} In givin!! ht'- Judgmc.•nt from th...- 81.-·n1.-'h on 2() Janu,ffy Jl)tJR. the Pr.,:..."id ..�nt :-.aid:- ..< )n 26 S1.:p1c.:ruha i1)( }7 th..: (\muni�-:iuu ..:xt..·nlh.:lt tlJlll.! lor thl:'. making of an dpplicatiun fdr rdn.-.:tat<:m1..·n t . Th..: ;-ippli<.:<tlion w,L..; <1uiti: suh(;f(llll1ally out of �1.ttc. JI . ,hould havl.'. hccn made of t'�lU r";,; 21 days ,tfkr lht' d1�rnjss:al. It �v:.1.s unt mad� unlll 11.1 lby,, :iJh:r th\! t�rnurht(i(m. Tht! ( ·onm,i,<-100\!T wa.t; ptainiy not . '-alisfi�d with lh� limit�d rxpt�rnc,1wn,, whi ....·h the ft.'.,pon<lcnt otfort..:d for that del<1y. In her re<tsons for Jth.lgnk·nt ,t;hc llllil1.· d�.arly ,tcknowkdgc."- the cxtc,;nt of th,: tklay and ha ,,ct:plltl"IOl ,th�,u• snm� ol thl..'. :..:xplan.1.ti(,n," ntfcrt•d lo r H. Shi.! cti.-.'(1 <.1<,;knowkd,gt.'.�' lhar . u thl· end nf (hi_': day, ..:v�n allowing for the 1.!Xplan<ttions ntkr,'.d . lhcrc wac n,·vc11hcks.s p<:nn,ts of uncxplamed dday. What w�igh,•d 111 lhc end panttularly With the C 'ommi"-''oncr in the ,;.·x�n;1s,: oj hd di.�<..-rdion to �.-xknd 11ml.!, \Vas thi.: (i.,•sirah1li1y t)f affordtnf th1.: fL!'-pornkm the npportunily lo mvcstigah: lhl.' facl� surrouru.li ng thL' krm.ina11on oi h.:r l'mploymc..·111 in cont;..•Xl of the all,:g<ttion tht,t rHdOlt'S h<1d gont' m,...�:ng dunn� h.:-r shift whH;h . -.ht,,; wa...; suh.'-equc:nlly r�quirl'd to r<.'pay. :-.1r l'hun·cn, in hi., c.rcfol suhmi�.s,on.s to me. <:Ontcnd.;d that r.:ally tha'-· V.\t:� <.•n the..: �·vukno: no 1:-.·sut: .thout lht:sc maltl.!fS so 1hat thl?y :-:hc.�Jld nol h,tv:..: fcacur-.:d in lhl.! Comnussioncr·s iiS��ssrn.:nl. H..: puinkt.l out that monie.r.: hLuJ gnn...- mi�-;jng. htfor� <lunng. anoth0.r person· . ... shift and th<t l it w;,� :-:impl),' ci f;,.•quircn112n1 l)f the 0Ui1 ,:c . '-y.s;1cn1 lh<il th..;y he: r..:p�,id hy the 1\_•l.:,·an1 cmployL·c. As !hi.! (\mmu�.,iunl.!r inc.h.·cd ;u.:knowkdgc...>d Ill) charges or thr�a,� \V t..Tl.' ld1<l • .,gn1nst fhl'. rc:,pnnd1.:n1 and !-he ,v:t"- 1w1, as the: Cornrni�sinn-.:.·r put it. ·torrnally ,,ccu.,nl hy 11\c employer.' . .\1r ( 'hur•;cn abo point<·<l put that a.s far ;1.< the rtppdlant i.< c,mccrncd the 1enni n,it1on oi .:rnpl�')rnc..:n r MOS\! si1nply ht·t:<iUSC <'f th: l" t:''-P<>ndc"nl '.;: rl.'.fu..:�-11 10 �c.,1Hi11u� w11h ht.:r \\'Cirk on the n..:dut.:c:d shifl h.asis \vhkh .-.hi.'. was ohlig.ed h' . H'n•p1. h ha.d n<,thing in slH.)rt tC\ {Ji.\ wi1h th-.! cin.:u m .'1:.tnt:<.•,..: c,f th'-' nii;,;smg mim�y. Th..;:-:\:' rmtlla:-. hd\.,:-:,'t:r. ,lfl' <.:onlcntious. Th� transc.:npt itst:lt :-hows al pa.g� ·, that the- r"",: p<.,ndl..'nl w.t� putting hdor� 1h-:: Conm\J,..::siuncr 1ht." i.,:l)fll\.'l\tlOll that Shi;' h.sd h,;�n di:-;mi.-..�i.;d hi..: <..'ml�t: or lh.: dn.:unt...tanecs or lhl.'. 1111,sing tn()lk:y. \l..'h..:th1.:r �h-.: i!-. right ,ihuut that or not thM l$ tht.: pt)....ition whi<.:h -:h.:. pr�s..:nl�l1 lo th� Con1mi��hm..:.r k.u.Jmg lO the Comn1ir.:�ion1:r'�• t:ondusi<,n lh:..tt ·1hc 1...:.-:\.JI.'.� rni.1.:�d in tht.• appli<.:atu)n arc: scn�)us and ci��trly \1r, 11111 will I,>�" lhc <•p1x,rtunity to ,·c:milatc th�m ii thc: �xt.:n�inn i� r(.'fus,_.cJ. ·. 2:i92<_1.DOC -- 1 of 2 -- 122 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 20 February, 1998 The only ,1uc�tion in the end was whether m l;,w the: C,11nrnis.sioncr was cn1itkd to u:--'(.' ihat cin.:un-1.,·tam:i..: to sway 1h1: hal�nCL' in favour of c-X.C<!nding link·. the; ha lance otherwise', a."- she: t·oncc:dc.:d, hcing rathc:r heavily ln.tlanccd ag.ain.,t the re,v<indent h�<:«u.<e of the ex1ens1ce dday and the lack of props,r explanati,m for it. \1y jurisdiction is linute(1, as r�kvant today. 10 crrc>r of law. Th-, que�tinn I ha,·c to a�k i.< whether there was any ha.sis for a n arguahly n·asonahle inforcnw.! fron\ the drcumstanccs that a tcrrninacion of �mpl,>ytncnt ocw1wd as cont.:n,lcd for hy th� respondent and that it wa., link�,1 fa,tually wtth lhc drt: umstanccs of the missing money. If thae ts no rea.<onilbk ba.si.s in th<' .:vtdt>nCc and thl) way the tllilttcr wa...; put ht.:for..:· th� Comnu�.-.ion�r for that tht'n she has erred in law and h�r dc1crnuna11on mu.-.t he: �d a.,idc. The view I tak�. however, 1� thdt ther.:: was �ome h,Lt.i."' for th�1t. alh0it lim.itcd, a nd that cha1 hci ng �o there i� no crr<)r of law (kmoristratcd in the Cornmission·.s reasoning. It '-' cnlirdy to onc side that I rn.,y mysdf have taken a different a1t1tude to the application for extension of time. At the moment I do not have a gcncr.tl . supervisory juri�dicti on ,vith rdation to $U<.:h on.kr:-;. :\1y juri.<:di{;llOn i.'- - and rightly - limited to em,r of I'""· I am not sati>"li�d that that has heel\ demonstrAtcd in this G.1.,..:. :Vtr ( 'hurvcn tr,ok rn..: through the .:ardully dr•wn grnumt, of appeal in dctail and to the cvid'"nt:� hearing upon them. It will b� ckar from !he tr;HL"t:npt tlMI in th1..· <.:our�;;: of argument we. w1..·n1 <.:�1rcfully throug,.h �a.:.:h of thnsc malices :rnd I do nnt think that ii is ncc�s,ary now for n1c to add to the oh.'-crvc1tion.� whkh I maJc i n the .,;our:-:� ,)f argum�nt. In th� �nd mo�t of those m.tH..•r.i. i1 l.'.1nc:rged W\-'re of a factual character amt. to lh(. t:Xt�nl that 11 Wd� asscncd that those. mattc:rs lacked found;1tion in th<! l!V1<.k•,nce> nn c&cful cx.:..m111Hti<.\n chat wa..1; Sl.!l'n n<.lt 10 h.! 1he c,,s?. As f �uggcstcd hcfore it j._ nol to tht: p1.1i lll th:1l thi..: 1..:vidc1111ary found,\lion for son)t; of those m.tllcrs may h ,lVc hi.:�:n . �light. provid.: ..t thcr.:: was ..;on"'k! ha.�,� fnr th�.m in th.: fa�t.'- of 1hc t..:a.�-.: lh\.· (;(11l1nti�siont:r·� judgmt:nl nm.-.;t . \1and. h app,.:ars to me.: 011 rcadwg or the: Ct>m1ni��1ont:::r' . ... rc1isons f.·! judgment that sh� ha." gone ahout th1.· l<L'-k <.:ar ..·fully. Sht: ha.-.: he'«:ll dir(!;l'tly cons<..:i0l1S of th� 1x.,1,·mially hc,1vy .<ignir,,·,rnc<: to tw anrihutcd to the cXtt'lll of the dcla)' and the la<:k of st<1tsfa,tory aplanation for ii hut in the c,nd has properly taken into al'.'�ount th.,; . �\.·nousn1,:.�.� of 1ht: factlMI .._:omph.:xioo put on the.: circum . 1,,;1ancc.:·� of th;.; Allt:gcd d1�mi.i.:sal. ·lhat wa.1,, a c...:ours� OJ'.k!n lt'> ht:r. Onl.! of ,\.fr Churv._.n·s ,)th1.·r m.,i n J'>1.lin1s I sh<,uld mcnllon w.;t.i.: thal 1ht: Conuni.�si<\na .�l{)pfk.;d him whc.>n he snugh1 10 c,,;rnhark on an dfMly�,� through (;ft).�.---cxarnination of the: 1.k-1 :-ul of the.: rrUssrng mont.:y. The Co mm1.ssioncr did J><>int out that the nic•fll� of the proposed ,,pph�•tinn would ordin arily not h� cxami,11..·t.l ;11 lc'a:-.1 :tt lt:ngth. \Vhat �he said at page 11 w�t."-, ·Th1..'.rt!' may h� �, hrii:f <.:on.'-H.krd110n of thl.! n11,:r1ts hut it'., not parl1<.:ularly a rx�llll <,f gr��tt wi:1ght in usual mart..:rs.'. The nk!rits m_ay hc:.t: ornc impo11ant 1f th�y dcttrly sUpfK)ft lH1C: �id� or th� other hut it is cnnlirmctl to me hy the way lh� matter ha.s hcen «rgucd 1,xtay 1ha1 th at 1.-= Ol)t the: ea.� h(•n .:. it was right <h�re k,r th� Cqm_mjs.i.:inner if . -.h SdW tit to hnnt t.:f<.l.,..,·�c:<.dmin<1Uon in 1hat area. J may oh:.;t:n·L' in ,H.i<liti,m that htr approach to 1hat math: :r w�,$ fh'l h.: a\·y h,,n<lcJ or p;!r�mptory and it m:i�· well have been, h,td . Vlr Churvcn .,ought to pur.,u� it, th.it he would h.aw lh.::t..'ll p1:rnUtkd hut h<.· did tt<..:4uic.sec in th� indi ....'.atiun of �•Hitud<.: fn>m th� Cnnmu sswna \\'hich as I say wa.< p,:rkt:tly orthodox. [n .ill the circumstAnc.:., lhcre 1.s no rnem warranttng t he upholding of thi� app...-:al whi1.;h I th�n:fc)n.: di�nu��. I do no< propose making. any on.kr as to <.:O:-·t:- in rdatil)O tu today:·. 1),,1,·d thi., ninth day ,>f Fd>rudry. I 91J8. B ;- th..: ( ·oun. 11..S.I E. EW1\l,I) lndustri,d Reg1Str<1r. Ap/H<HO!l(i'.<:- \1r Churwn, Soltctlor for the /\ppcllant. t>pc rat1vc Date: '>./A kep<•l1 on Judgm�nt -Astor Hnt,'I �fold Pty I.Id;\>,[) Joan H,11 ########################################################## 20 February, I 998 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 123 -- 2 of 2 --