Attendees at the Jobs and Skills Summit at Parliament House, Canberra (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch)

It’s been a hive of activity in Parliament House today as those who received one of the 143 prized tickets to the jobs and skills summit trickled into the Great Hall. Business leaders, union representatives, advocates and premiers (and a few politicians) have come to discuss Australia’s economy and employment. 

The Albanese government has been strict on who could receive a ticket — although it did boost the number from the previous cap of 100 — and didn’t allow invitees to transfer their tickets. (Despite how coveted the tickets were, Crikey counted about 10 empty seats.)

Four rows of tables sit parallel to each side of the stage, five rows face the stage, and there are three rows of chairs up the back.

The hubbub died down as everyone took their seats; some looked tired already as full employment, growing productivity and equal opportunities and pay for women was discussed.

Women’s workforce participation, changes to immigration and real wage growth are the main themes today, so it was appropriate sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins scored a spot in the front row facing the stage, with ACTU leaders Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil in the row behind her. 

Politicians scored prime seating, with premiers and chief ministers up the front on the right (although independents were further away) and federal ministers on the left. Anthony Albanese and Dominic Perrottet faced each other across the room. 

Qantas boss Alan Joyce’s flight appeared to arrive on time — he was in the second-last arch from the back, far from tourism forum chief Margy Osmond, who was next to Toll boss Christine Holgate.

Holgate said this morning she wanted to see the 55 recommendations from Jenkins’ Respect@Work report implemented immediately to improve gender parity, and Osmond called for the age of working holidaymakers to be lifted to 50 to bolster the tourism workforce. 

Canberra’s net worth shot up considerably as Australia’s richest man, Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, two rows behind the premiers, as was Australia’s second-richest man, Visy Recycling boss Anthony Pratt (who scored a shoddy seat in the back row). Forrest told reporters on his arrival he wanted to see vulnerable Australians counted in unemployment figures, but avoided questions relating to climate. 

Atlassian’s co-founder Scott Farquhar was on the opposite side — behind Employment Minister Tony Burke.

The government worked hard to ensure a representative guestlist — but disappointingly, attendees were overwhelmingly white. Business leaders and union representatives had an equal number of tickets, and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said more than 50% of participants were women. About 15% of attendees were academics, and another 12% were from lobby groups. Just 14 MPs are attending — most notably, Peter Dutton declined an invite. 

As advocacy organisation Women with Disabilities Australia pointed out, women with disabilities were not represented (though men with disabilities, including Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, are).

Not many young people scored a seat and will rely on youth advocate Yasmin Poole for representation. None of the heads of the four big banks were invited, represented instead by ​​Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh. The Australian Unemployed Workers Union wasn’t invited — and was banned from holding a protest in front of Parliament today.

It ended up being difficult to get people to take their seats after a brief morning tea break.

Albanese spent the bulk of his time looking through documents with Terese Edwards from the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children, and Farquhar spoke at length with Georgie Dent, executive director of The Parenthood.

Next up, before lunch: discussions on bargaining and enterprise agreements and creating safe, fair and productive workplaces.