Received

Chris Dawson has been threatened in prison and is seeking special protection two days after being found guilty of his wife Lyn's murder 40 years ago, his lawyer says.

The 74-year-old former rugby league player faced the NSW Supreme Court in his prison greens on Thursday after a judge found he had killed his wife and disposed of her body in January 1982 because of an infatuation with the family babysitter.

Dawson had been taken to Silverwater prison after Tuesday's verdict and had suffered "constant threats" to his life while there, his lawyer Greg Walsh told Justice Ian Harrison.

While already under a strict protection regime in jail at the moment, the solicitor asked the judge to direct the authorities to look after his client's safety in all ways that they could.

"He's been subject to serious death threats by a number of prisoners. It's not unusual in this circumstance having regards to his profile and the charge of which he was convicted," Mr Walsh told reporters outside court.

"Jail being what it is, it's a very dangerous place and at times prisoners need to be transferred or transported to and from other places in the jail, and they can be subject to unprovoked attacks."

Mr Walsh said he hadn't had the chance to talk much with Dawson while in custody but said he was still in shock.

"He seems to have shut down. He's very, very sad about his predicament. He's worried about his children. He's worried about his loved ones."

Again flagging an appeal, the lawyer said he was still reviewing the 268-page judgment but said a possible challenge included whether the murder could be proved "beyond reasonable doubt".

There was no evidence of intention to kill, nor was there proof Dawson was a violent man, Mr Walsh said.

JC's allegation that the former teacher had gone to hire a hitman to kill his wife but had changed his mind had also been rejected, he added.

A bail application foreshadowed on Tuesday was not made.

Mrs Dawson's body has never been found despite extensive searches of the Bayview property the couple once shared on Sydney's northern beaches.

The judge found Dawson murdered his wife because he held a deep animosity towards her as an obstacle to his relationship with JC, a former student he was obsessed with.

Dawson's lies to police and family members were relied on in the judgment to show guilt that he had indeed killed his loving, committed wife.

On Tuesday, Mr Walsh told reporters the former Newtown Jets rugby league player was suffering physical health problems and cognitive issues, including a diagnosis of dementia.

The Teacher's Pet podcast, released by The Australian's Hedley Thomas on Mrs Dawson's disappearance, has widely been reported as leading to charges finally being brought against Dawson, who was arrested on the Gold Coast in December 2018.

However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has rejected claims it brought the case because of "outside influence".

"Decisions about criminal prosecutions are made free of inappropriate influence of political, individual or other sectional interests, including media coverage or public sentiment," a spokesperson said.

"The public interest is the paramount consideration in deciding whether to prosecute."

Meanwhile, Homicide Squad commander Danny Doherty said the police investigation was not over despite the welcome conviction.

"Our efforts and inquiries to find Lyn's remains are ongoing, and we once again urge anyone with information which may assist us to get in touch," he said in a statement on Thursday.

"After a journey of more than 40 years, we hope to give Lyn's family the chance to say goodbye."

A sentence hearing will be held on November 11.

© AAP 2022

The mother of Brisbane Broncos prop Payne Haas will be behind bars for a month after assaulting security staff at the Star Casino.

Uiatu "Joan" Taufua, 46, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday to punching and spitting at security staff at the casino in May.

The mother of nine was sentenced to nine months in jail, suspended on October 1 after serving one month in custody.

It is not Taufua's first brush with the law after being handed a suspended sentence in May 2019 over a violent road rage attack where she verbally and physically attacked a delivery driver.

On that occasion, Taufau had two of her children in the car when she attacked the driver who suffered severe facial injuries including a fractured cheekbone, a hole in his lip and a deviated nose.

© AAP 2022

An additional 180,000 fee-free TAFE places will be created by 2023 as part of a major training package launched at the government's jobs and skills summit.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told attendees at the summit on Thursday the $1.1 billion package would be jointly funded by federal, state and territory governments.

He said Australians needed to gain the skills they needed to get good jobs.

"I want this to be the beginning, not the end, of progress we see on skills over the next two days," he said.

In a joint statement ahead of the summit, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Business Council of Australia called for Commonwealth paid parental leave benefits to be boosted to 26 weeks from 18.

The business and union groups also called for superannuation to be paid on the leave benefit and for incentives to be included to encourage both parents to share the entitlement.

As well as efforts to improve women's participation in the workforce, the ACTU and the BCA also want an authority to support coal and gas workers through the clean energy transition.

The groups agreed on the need to improve pathways to permanent residency for temporary visa holders and that training domestic workers should be prioritised ahead of migration.

Both also want the Fair Work Act to be reformed so it is "simpler, fairer, and more accessible".

"We're pleased to have worked with the ACTU to find common ground ahead of the summit," Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

"We don't agree on everything but where we can find solutions, of course we should."

Speaking at a BCA dinner on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the two-day summit was just the beginning.

"We view the summit - and the more than 100 roundtables and consultations that have been held around the country in the lead-up - as a focal point and a foundation," he said.

He said progress was already evident, with unions and business groups "taking it upon themselves to seek out common ground and agree on shared principles".

"Of course, these conversations don't end on Friday and they're not confined to a room in Canberra."

Day one will feature a panel discussion on the future of bargaining to deliver higher wages that will feature representatives from unions and business.

The first day will also touch on participation of women in the workforce and the job-creating potential of the clean energy transition.

Skilling up workers for the jobs of the future is also on the summit agenda, with a new report showing skill sets needed in the modern job market are changing rapidly.

A LinkedIn report found skill sets for jobs had changed by 25 per cent in the past six years and the pace of change was expected to accelerate by 44 per cent in 2025.

© AAP 2022