Haines presses Labor on Nacc deputy vacancy after Rose resignation
Independent MP Helen Haines says the clock is ticking on the nacc’s vacant deputy commissioner role after Nicole Rose announced her resignation this month and said she is relocating overseas. Haines wants the Albanese government to replace Rose through a transparent, merit-based process that would bolster confidence in the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Haines, who sits on the commission’s parliamentary oversight committee, said recruitment for a new deputy commissioner is a critical opportunity for the government to strengthen public confidence in the watchdog. She said Australians should know what skills and experience the job requires, how candidates will be assessed and how conflicts of interest will be declared.
Helen Haines on the Nacc vacancy
Haines said a clear process would help parliament’s joint committee on the nacc carry out its role of reviewing and approving appointments. She also said the appointment process should be beyond reproach and as transparent as the public expects of the commission itself.
“This is an important moment to show Australians that appointments to the Nacc are being handled in a transparent and rigorous way,” Haines said. “Recruitment for a new deputy commissioner is a critical opportunity for the government to strengthen public confidence in the National Anti-Corruption Commission.”
Nicole Rose leaves this month
Rose will finish in the job this month before taking a period of leave. Her departure opens a leadership vacancy in the commission at a time when the watchdog is still dealing with criticism over its early years.
Haines said the government should use the appointment to restore public confidence rather than treat it as a routine personnel change. That call lands while the commission’s first five years remain under scrutiny, including criticism over commissioner Paul Brereton’s external work for Defence and the Nacc’s handling of referrals tied to the illegal robodebt scheme.
Paul Brereton and Nacc scrutiny
In October 2024, Nacc inspector Gail Furness released a report finding that Brereton was affected by apprehended bias. Furness said he should have removed himself from related decision-making processes and limited his exposure to relevant factual information.
The report said Brereton had appointed a deputy as a delegate to decide referrals to the Nacc because of a perceived conflict of interest with one of the individuals. The Nacc said the report contained no finding of intentional wrongdoing or other impropriety. Brereton has also completed consulting work for the inspector general of the Australian defence force while serving as commissioner, related to his former role leading an inquiry into alleged war crimes involving Australian troops in Afghanistan.
The appointment decision now sits with Labor, and Haines is pressing for a process that spells out the standards before a name is chosen. A statutory review of the Nacc’s early operation is expected in 2027, giving the government a short window to fill the deputy role and show how it will handle the next commissioner-level appointment.
