Robert McClelland, a former Labor attorney general and federal court judge, has been named as the new boss of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). McClelland served as Australia's top law officer in the Rudd government from 2007 until 2011. He has been the deputy chief justice of the federal circuit and family court of Australia since 2018, having been appointed to the court by the Coalition in 2015.
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, stated that McClelland was selected through an open, competitive, and merit-based process. Paul Brereton, the commission's first boss, resigned in May, citing that criticism of him was "drawing attention away" from the body's purpose.
Christopher Savundra has also been named as the NACC's new deputy commissioner. Rowland congratulated both on their proposed appointments, expressing confidence in their expertise to contribute to the commission's work in enhancing integrity across the Commonwealth public sector.