Former Labor attorney general turned judge Robert McClelland named new anti-corruption boss
News Source
β’Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:56:29 GMT
π° What Happened
Robert McClelland has been named the new commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. He was attorney general in the Rudd government from 2007 to 2011 and has been a federal court judge since 2015.
Christopher Savundra, now a senior executive at ASIC, will be deputy commissioner. Both will start five-year terms on 11 January, subject to approval by the governor general.
π The Backstory
The appointments follow a promise by attorney general Michelle Rowland to reset the watchdog. Paul Brereton, the first commissioner, quit in May after criticism of his performance.
Brereton was criticised for doing consulting work for his old employer while in the job. The NACC was also slammed for first refusing to investigate people referred by the robodebt royal commission, a call later reversed.
π― Why It Matters
A corruption watchdog only works if the public trusts it. New leaders are a chance to rebuild that trust.
Robert McClelland has been named the new commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. He was attorney general in the Rudd government from 2007 to 2011 and has been a federal court judge since 2015.
Christopher Savundra, now a senior executive at ASIC, will be deputy commissioner. Both will start five-year terms on 11 January, subject to approval by the governor general.
The appointments follow a promise by attorney general Michelle Rowland to reset the watchdog. Paul Brereton, the first commissioner, quit in May after criticism of his performance.
Brereton was criticised for doing consulting work for his old employer while in the job. The NACC was also slammed for first refusing to investigate people referred by the robodebt royal commission, a call later reversed.
A corruption watchdog only works if the public trusts it. New leaders are a chance to rebuild that trust.