Post by latindancer on Dec 17, 2022 9:18:24 GMT 7
Administrative appeals tribunal has been axed, with Labor declaring it ‘irreversibly damaged’ by Coalition.
Attorney general Mark Dreyfus says review body was stacked with Liberals in ‘disgraceful exhibition of cronyism’.
The federal government is abolishing the administrative appeals tribunal, claiming the former Coalition government “irreversibly damaged” the review body by stacking it with Liberal MPs, candidates and staffers.
A new administrative body will be established next year, with the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, promising a more transparent appointment process for members.
Public service staff working at the AAT will transition to the new body and open cases will be transferred. But appointed members will have to re-apply for their jobs.
The move comes after years of allegations by the Labor party that the Coalition had filled the ranks of the AAT with supporters.
“By appointing 85 former Liberal MPs, failed Liberal candidates, former Liberal staffers and other close Liberal associates without any merit-based selection process, including some individuals with no relevant experience or expertise, the former government fatally compromised the AAT, undermined its independence and eroded the quality and efficiency of its decision making,” Dreyfus told reporters on Friday.
“This was a disgraceful exhibition of cronyism by the Liberal party.”
The AAT is the federal administrative review system for appealing decisions made under commonwealth laws, including those related to Centrelink, child support, migration and refugees, taxation, freedom of information and the national disability insurance scheme.
In opposition, Dreyfus frequently criticised the Coalition’s practice of appointing former staffers and politicians from its ranks to the powerful tribunal. Reviews of the AAT criticised major backlogs of cases, with one 2018 review partly attributing delays to members without legal training struggling to write decisions.
In more recent times, the tribunal has been scrutinised over bullying claims. A Labor-led Senate inquiry called for the AAT to be abolished.
Dreyfus announced on Friday the government would set up a new administrative review body with legislation to be introduced next year. He wouldn’t rule out Labor-linked members serving on the new body but promised a merit-based appointments process.
“The qualification for appointment to this tribunal will be ability and experience and knowledge of administrative review processes. In some cases, members of the AAT, think, for example, the taxation work of the AAT, they need really specialist knowledge,” Dreyfus said.
“Our concern is that people who are appointed to this really important function for the Australian government merit review systems – that everybody who serves as a member in such a tribunal is appropriately qualified.”
Dreyfus wants ‘smooth’ transition but ‘disruption’ possible
He said he wanted an “even and smooth” transition between the AAT and its successor but admitted “disruption” could occur. Dreyfus said his department would work with the Community and Public Sector Union to move staff between the bodies.
The government is committing $63.4m over two years to appoint 75 extra members to deal with a case backlog and another $11.7m for a new case management system. The government will consult on how the new body could work before the legislation is introduced on 2023.
Existing AAT members will have to re-apply for their jobs in the new body.
“All members of the administrative appeals tribunal, who are currently there, are invited to apply for a position as a member of the new tribunal,” Dreyfus said.
The shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, criticised the government for making the decision close to the end of the year, accusing Labor of avoiding scrutiny and wanting to “stack” the new body themselves.
“The government’s decision to purge it is about making the Labor government less accountable,” he said. “This government is all about settling political scores. This announcement undermines the work of the tribunal in holding this Labor government to account.”
The CPSU said reform of the AAT was long overdue. The union claimed staff had been distressed by how the tribunal was managed.
“The AAT has become a workplace increasingly plagued with poor culture, unreasonable workloads and significant bullying and harassment complaints,” the union said in a statement.
The CPSU’s national secretary, Melissa Donnelly, said staff needed to work without “political interference”. “The AAT has lost the confidence of the public and many of its employees after years of partisan appointments and significant increases in workplace bullying and harassment,” she said.
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/16/administrative-appeals-tribunal-axed-with-labor-declaring-it-irreversibly-damaged-by-coalition
Attorney general Mark Dreyfus says review body was stacked with Liberals in ‘disgraceful exhibition of cronyism’.
The federal government is abolishing the administrative appeals tribunal, claiming the former Coalition government “irreversibly damaged” the review body by stacking it with Liberal MPs, candidates and staffers.
A new administrative body will be established next year, with the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, promising a more transparent appointment process for members.
Public service staff working at the AAT will transition to the new body and open cases will be transferred. But appointed members will have to re-apply for their jobs.
The move comes after years of allegations by the Labor party that the Coalition had filled the ranks of the AAT with supporters.
“By appointing 85 former Liberal MPs, failed Liberal candidates, former Liberal staffers and other close Liberal associates without any merit-based selection process, including some individuals with no relevant experience or expertise, the former government fatally compromised the AAT, undermined its independence and eroded the quality and efficiency of its decision making,” Dreyfus told reporters on Friday.
“This was a disgraceful exhibition of cronyism by the Liberal party.”
The AAT is the federal administrative review system for appealing decisions made under commonwealth laws, including those related to Centrelink, child support, migration and refugees, taxation, freedom of information and the national disability insurance scheme.
In opposition, Dreyfus frequently criticised the Coalition’s practice of appointing former staffers and politicians from its ranks to the powerful tribunal. Reviews of the AAT criticised major backlogs of cases, with one 2018 review partly attributing delays to members without legal training struggling to write decisions.
In more recent times, the tribunal has been scrutinised over bullying claims. A Labor-led Senate inquiry called for the AAT to be abolished.
Dreyfus announced on Friday the government would set up a new administrative review body with legislation to be introduced next year. He wouldn’t rule out Labor-linked members serving on the new body but promised a merit-based appointments process.
“The qualification for appointment to this tribunal will be ability and experience and knowledge of administrative review processes. In some cases, members of the AAT, think, for example, the taxation work of the AAT, they need really specialist knowledge,” Dreyfus said.
“Our concern is that people who are appointed to this really important function for the Australian government merit review systems – that everybody who serves as a member in such a tribunal is appropriately qualified.”
Dreyfus wants ‘smooth’ transition but ‘disruption’ possible
He said he wanted an “even and smooth” transition between the AAT and its successor but admitted “disruption” could occur. Dreyfus said his department would work with the Community and Public Sector Union to move staff between the bodies.
The government is committing $63.4m over two years to appoint 75 extra members to deal with a case backlog and another $11.7m for a new case management system. The government will consult on how the new body could work before the legislation is introduced on 2023.
Existing AAT members will have to re-apply for their jobs in the new body.
“All members of the administrative appeals tribunal, who are currently there, are invited to apply for a position as a member of the new tribunal,” Dreyfus said.
The shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, criticised the government for making the decision close to the end of the year, accusing Labor of avoiding scrutiny and wanting to “stack” the new body themselves.
“The government’s decision to purge it is about making the Labor government less accountable,” he said. “This government is all about settling political scores. This announcement undermines the work of the tribunal in holding this Labor government to account.”
The CPSU said reform of the AAT was long overdue. The union claimed staff had been distressed by how the tribunal was managed.
“The AAT has become a workplace increasingly plagued with poor culture, unreasonable workloads and significant bullying and harassment complaints,” the union said in a statement.
The CPSU’s national secretary, Melissa Donnelly, said staff needed to work without “political interference”. “The AAT has lost the confidence of the public and many of its employees after years of partisan appointments and significant increases in workplace bullying and harassment,” she said.
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/16/administrative-appeals-tribunal-axed-with-labor-declaring-it-irreversibly-damaged-by-coalition
