THE HON. MARK DREYFUS QC, MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
BRANDIS MUST COME CLEAN ON SEX DISCRIMINATION COMMISSIONER
Attorney-General George Brandis has turned the selection process for the next Sex Discrimination Commissioner into a farce - refusing to give the President of the Human Rights Commission a say in the appointment of one of her most senior staff.
Australian women have been without a dedicated advocate for five months, and we now know Senator Brandis was made aware of the need to find a replacement for Elizabeth Broderick as soon as he came to office.
According to reports in today's Sunday Telegraph, Senator Brandis has deliberately excluded President Gillian Triggs from the selection panel in charge of replacing Ms Broderick.
Meanwhile it appears his leader Malcolm Turnbull is mired in backroom deals with his tormentor, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, to appoint his former chief-of-staff Peta Credlin to the job.
This selection process has obviously been held hostage to the disunity within Turnbull's government, creating a major delay in appointing Ms Broderick's replacement. Senator Brandis has allowed his grudge against Professor Triggs to infect his judgement, while female victims of discrimination are left without full-time representation.
George Brandis and Malcolm Turnbull need to come clean on the selection process now and be honest with Australian women, who deserve to know the successor to Ms Broderick will be appointed on merit rather than the outcome of Liberal party infighting.
SUNDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2016
