September 29, 2023
Exactly what’s going on with the leadership palaver causing havoc at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission? This over-empowered crime-fighting agency has been bereft of a chief executive since November when advertisements for the job first began appearing in the press.
Nearly one year later it’s still vacant, even though 12 applications were received and a selection panel whittled those down to a shortlist of two “suitable” contenders. The scrutineers were no slouches either. They included Katherine Jones, secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott and South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.
Margin Call has already reported that Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus ordered the job to be readvertised (in July). Less known is that the panel reckoned there were two people up to the task. And still not good enough for some, apparently!
It came to light when Senator James Paterson started asking questions of the ACIC’s untidiness through the parliament. On his account, Dreyfus fought bitterly for the ACIC to be removed from the Home Affairs portfolio to the AGD but he’s “clearly neglecting it” now that it falls under his auspices.
“To have a CEO vacant for almost a year is shocking mismanagement,” Paterson said. “Worse, he appears to have rejected two suitable candidates identified during the recruitment process. If Mr Dreyfus can’t give the ACIC the time and attention it deserves it should be returned to the Home Affairs portfolio under the successful model of the previous government.”
