The Baillieu government is struggling to find a suitable head for its much-hyped anti-corruption commission, amid claims that the role is underpaid and a ''poisoned chalice''.

Some of the most senior figures in the Australian legal and judicial scene have declined approaches from the government during a long-running local and international search.

Illustration: Ron Tandberg

Sources have confirmed wariness about the job among the group targeted under the selection criteria, which requires the commissioner be a sitting or retired judge of the High Court, Supreme Court or Federal Court, or at least qualified for such positions.

''The government has been approaching a lot of people and hasn't been able to secure anyone … it's a poisoned chalice,'' a senior legal figure experienced in Victoria's current system of integrity bodies told The Age.