Former Labor attorney-general and current federal court judge Robert McClelland has been named as the new head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the federal integrity agency established by the Albanese government. His appointment, alongside Christopher Savundra as deputy commissioner, was announced by Attorney-General Michelle Rowland on Monday. Both appointments are set to commence on January 11 next year, pending approval by the governor-general, Sam Mostyn, and follow an open, merit-based selection process.
McClelland’s selection comes four months after the early departure of the NACC’s inaugural commissioner, Paul Brereton, who resigned amid controversies surrounding his conduct and conflicts of interest. Brereton, appointed in 2023, stepped down in May, citing that ongoing focus on criticism of his personal performance was detracting from the commission’s core mission of enhancing integrity within the Commonwealth public sector.
Prior to his judicial career, McClelland served as Australia’s attorney-general from 2007 to 2011, appointed by then-prime minister Kevin Rudd, and was a member of parliament for Barton from 1996 until 2013. Following his departure from politics, he was appointed to the Family Court of Australia in 2015 by a Coalition government minister and became deputy chief justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court in 2018.
Christopher Savundra, who will act as deputy commissioner, currently serves as the executive director of enforcement and compliance at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Attorney-General Rowland expressed confidence that both McClelland and Savundra would bring the necessary expertise to strengthen the commission’s role in promoting public sector integrity.
The NACC has faced significant criticism since its establishment, notably over its initial refusal to investigate six officials referred by the robodebt royal commission for potential corruption. This decision led to an independent review that identified “officer misconduct” linked to Brereton’s failure to recuse himself from relevant matters, citing apprehended bias. The commission ultimately reversed its decision to decline the investigation in 2025, and a later report confirmed that two public servants had engaged in serious corrupt conduct. However, no intentional wrongdoing was found on the part of Brereton.
The former commissioner also faced scrutiny for continuing advisory work with the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) concerning a war crimes inquiry, which raised concerns of a conflict of interest and contributed to questions about his tenure.
Senator Michaelia Cash, a critic of the government’s handling of the NACC, emphasized the need for renewed transparency and accountability, pointing to Brereton’s premature resignation and expressing the importance of a robust anti-corruption body subjected to public scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Independent MP Helen Haines, a key architect of the NACC and deputy chair of its parliamentary oversight committee, welcomed the “reset” of the agency. She described the new appointments as timely and necessary to restore public confidence and ensure the commission operates with independence, credibility, and integrity. Haines also acknowledged the contributions of acting commissioner Kylie Kilgour and acting deputies Jamie Lowe and Penny Shakespeare during the transition period.
The parliamentary joint committee overseeing the NACC unanimously supported the appointments, which were recommended by a panel that included senior figures such as the Attorney-General’s Department secretary Katherine Jones, former federal court judge Raymond Finkelstein, and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.