Movers & Shakers: Fair Work Commission shake-up continues

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The latest senior public sector appointments from across the country.

Senior Executive Service

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At the Australian Communications and Media Authority, Paul Howe was promoted to executive manager/chief financial officer.

Shake-up at Fair Work Commission

Ingrid Asbury was promoted to vice president at the Fair Work Commission, following the appointment of Adam Hatcher as president.

Another four people were named deputy commissioner: Judith Wright (starting April 11), Thomas Roberts (starting April 17), Peter O’Keeffe (starting May 1), and Alexandra Grayson (starting July 14).

Sharon Durham was appointed commissioner, having started on April 3.

Employment minister Tony Burke said it was the start of rebalancing appointments between those with an employer background and those with a worker background.

“Even with these appointments, we are still a long way from balance. There is more work to do to correct the Coalition’s shameless stack,” Burke said.

“I look forward to the day when I can return to appointing people from employee and employer backgrounds in equal numbers. But there is an immediate imperative to restore the balance.”

In a separate announcement, Hatcher appointed deputy president Peter Hampton as the national practice leader for bargaining to “lead the commission’s practice in connection with all bargaining and industrial action-related matter types”.

Open Government Forum members

The government announced new members of the Open Government Forum, as it begins to design a Third National Action Plan.

The government’s co-chair is deputy secretary Simon Newnham at the Attorney-General’s Department.

Government members will be represented by the following agencies: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, the Information and Privacy Commission New South Wales, APSC, Commonwealth Ombud, PM&C, Finance, and Treasury.

The civil society co-chair is Dr Kate Auty.

The remaining civil society members are Professor Anne Twomey, Anooshe Mushtaq, Professor Charles Sampford, Cindy He, Clancy Moore, Kyle Redman, Dr Tania Penovic and Tim Lo Surdo.

Australian Heritage Council

Peter Cochrane was appointed to the Australian Heritage Council following the departure of Dr Steve Morton.

Cochrane joins the council as a natural heritage expert, with experience under his belt including as CEO of Parks Australia.

He is a commissioner at the NSW Independent Planning Commission, an assistant commissioner at the NSW Natural Resources Commission, and chair of Australia’s Marine National Facility National Benefit Assessment Committee.

NDIA board reaches 50% representation for people with disability

Two members were appointed to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) board: Autism Association of Western Australia CEO Joan McKenna Kerr and Darwin Waterfront Corporation chair Dr Richard Fejo.

A Larrakia man, Fejo is a person with a disability. His appointment brings the representation of people with disability on the board to half (six out of 12).

“I am particularly proud this government has appointed a First Nations representative to the NDIA board,” government services minister Bill Shorten said.

“It’s also the first time the NDIA board has had representation from the Northern Territory and we are addressing the rarity of WA representation.”

The two appointments replace Glenn Keys, whose term already concluded, and Professor Jane Burns, whose term is ending shortly.

Both new appointments will serve for three years.

Federal Court of Australia’s first female chief justice

Justice Debra Mortimer was appointed the chief justice of the Federal Court of Australia, the first woman to take the role since the court’s establishment in 1976.

Mortimer has been on the court since 2013, and will commence as chief justice on April 7 when chief justice James Allsop retires.

The government said Mortimer was widely recognised for her legal acumen, intellectual capacity and judicial leadership.

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Family Court of Western Australia dual appointment

Steven Jones was appointed as a judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) (Division 1) and the Family Court of Western Australia (FCWA).

Jones replaced Simon Moncrieff, who retired in May after 13 years of service.

WA attorney-general John Quigley said Jones’ extensive family law and child protection experience made him an excellent choice.

“He has frequently appeared as an independent children’s lawyer in the Family Court and been briefed in protection matters by the Department of Communities,” Quigley said.

Acting chair of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation

Teresa Dyson was appointed acting chair of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) for three months.

NHFIC chair Adrian Harrington has resigned. He had been on the board since 2018 and chair since 2021.

Dyson has been a partner at Deloitte Australia and on the board of the NHFIC since 2018.

Ex-mental health commissioner to implement youth detention reforms

Former mental health commissioner Tim Marney was appointed by the WA government to put into effect a new model of care for the Banksia Hill Detention Centre.

In the role, Marney will be working with the WA Department of Justice.

The Department commissioned Nous Group to develop the model over 2021 and 2022 to overhaul Banksia Hill’s practices. Marney was most recently chief economist and principal at Nous Group.

“In bringing in the model of care, our focus will be on affecting longer-term changes to provide security, safety, care and support for the young people and staff at Banksia Hill,” Marney said.

“The drivers of change will be the staff who are there on the ground every day. My role is about empowering people and giving them the tools, capabilities and competencies to successfully achieve their goals.

“Importantly, I’ll also be spending quite a lot of time listening to staff, young people, families and stakeholders.

“This endeavour is far too important for me just to deliver a report and then walk away. I really wanted to be part of seeing it through.”

Resident judge for the ACT Supreme Court

Verity McWilliam was appointed a resident judge at the ACT Supreme Court.

She was appointed to the ACT Supreme Court as an associate justice in 2017 and was previously a barrister in Sydney.

Chief justice Lucy McCallum welcomed the appointment, saying McWilliam’s “fairness, humanity and good judgement will serve the people of the Territory well and will build upon the strength of the court”.

McWilliam is expected to be sworn in this week, replacing Geoffrey Kennett, who was appointed to the Federal Court in February.

Queensland Law Reform Commission chair

Land Court of Queensland president Fleur Kingham was appointed chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission, following the resignation of Peter Applegarth.

Kingham started in the role on April 1.

Queensland attorney-general Shannon Fentiman said the commission plays a crucial role in law reform reviews.

“As chair, Kingham can draw insights from throughout her distinguished career in the judiciary, as well as her previous experience as an environmental lawyer, as a university lecturer, and as a mediator of complex disputes including Indigenous land and governance issues,” Fentiman said.

Queensland trade commissioner in the Pacific

Leata Alaimoana was appointed by the Queensland government as its trade commissioner for the Pacific region.

Based in the Brisbane office of Trade and Investment Queensland, Alaimoana will lead the government’s Pacific trade strategy.

On her appointment, the new commissioner said she was proud to bring her Pacific Island heritage to the role.

“There are so many synergies and great opportunities that we can explore with Queensland’s closest neighbours and I’m confident that this targeted focus will result in very positive trade and investment outcomes that will benefit our state and the entire region,” Alaimoana said.

Queensland Supreme Court bench

District Court judge Catherine Muir will join the Queensland Supreme Court bench on April 11, replacing David Boddice who was appointed to the Queensland Court of Appeal.

Muir previously was counsel assisting Margaret Wilson in the Commission of Inquiry into the Closure of the Barrett Adolescent Centre in 2015-16.

The judge has also spent time at the Children’s Court of Queensland and the Planning and Environment Court.