New South Wales v Commonwealth
Key Principle
Broadly interpreted the corporations power (s 51(xx)) to uphold the Work Choices industrial relations legislation, overturning the narrow reading from Huddart Parker
The High Court upheld the validity of the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005, finding that the corporations power under s 51(xx) authorised the Commonwealth to regulate the employment conditions of constitutional corporations. The 5-2 decision dramatically expanded the scope of the corporations power, effectively allowing the Commonwealth to create a national industrial relations system without relying on the conciliation and arbitration power.