Overview
- The parliamentary oversight committee unanimously approved Robert McClelland as commissioner and Christopher Savundra as deputy, with both due to take up the roles in January 2027.
- Attorney‑General Michelle Rowland nominated the pair after months of searching for a successor to inaugural commissioner Paul Brereton, who resigned early amid controversy.
- Brereton had stepped away from defence‑related referrals in 2025 after it emerged he held a consultancy with the Inspector‑General of the Australian Defence Force, and an oversight finding identified bias in how the NACC handled Robodebt referrals.
- The Robodebt reversal led to rulings that two public servants engaged in serious corrupt conduct, a series of events that critics say damaged the commission's independence and public standing.
- McClelland is a former attorney‑general and long‑serving Family Court judge and Savundra is a former ASIC executive; officials say the appointment was merit‑based but calls for greater openness in the recruitment process, including public hearings, continue.