This Tarnishes the Whole Institution: Former FWC Member Alan Boulton Charged

The recent criminal charge against former senior Fair Work Commission (FWC) member Alan Boulton is not just a personal disgrace—it strikes at the heart of Australia’s industrial relations system and tarnishes the very institution he once served.

Victoria Police have charged Boulton, aged 74, with possessing child abuse material under both state and federal laws. The charges were laid following an incident in which Boulton allegedly “inadvertently displayed” inappropriate images during a February 5 lecture at Monash University’s CBD campus. The images were shown in a classroom setting—a space where students should feel safe and respected, not subjected to the trauma of exposure to abusive content.

This Tarnishes the Whole Institution: Former FWC Member Alan Boulton Charged

Police later seized electronic devices from Boulton’s homes in Melbourne and Sydney before formally interviewing him. He is now scheduled to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Boulton’s history makes this development all the more unsettling. He served as a member of the Fair Work Commission’s predecessor bodies for three decades, retiring in 2015. He was also the Australian Council of Trade Unions’ (ACTU) first legal officer—roles that placed him at the centre of shaping workplace justice in this country. That someone who held such influential and trusted positions could now be facing such grave allegations is a profound betrayal of public confidence.

Monash University, where Boulton was lecturing, acted swiftly upon being notified of the incident. The institution suspended him, removed him from all teaching duties, and barred him from contacting students or staff or entering campus grounds. It has since confirmed that Boulton is no longer employed by the university and that it is cooperating with police investigations.

This is more than a criminal charge against a retired industrial figure—it is a blow to the credibility of the very institutions designed to uphold fairness, decency and the law in the workplace. Those who have shaped the framework for resolving workplace disputes must themselves be beyond reproach. When that trust is violated, it doesn’t just reflect on the individual. It casts a long, dark shadow over the entire system.

The Australian public deserves institutions that are not only competent and fair—but clean. This case is a painful reminder that reputation and integrity, once compromised, cannot simply be compartmentalised or excused. The damage is real. The disgrace is lasting. And yes—this tarnishes the whole institution.