Attorney general George Brandis has yet to decide on disability, social justice and sex discrimination commissioners' roles

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The titles of sex discrimination commissioner, disability commissioner and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner may be abolished as the attorney general, George Brandis, is yet to decide if he will make appointments to the roles when they expire in the next year.

Brandis is planning to expand the powers of the president of the Human Rights Commission as he considers consolidating some of the roles or not making appointments to all as the terms expire.

The first term to expire will be that of disability commissioner Graeme Innes, around June. The sex discrimination commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, will finish in September.

The term for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Mick Gooda, will also expire within the next year.

The president of the Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, said: “I’m aware the attorney general is still consulting and talking to people about these things.

“He is still considering what to do but he has certainly made it clear he will at least consider reappointments.”

Triggs has asked that she be allowed to require commissioners to act in accordance with the commission’s mission and be able to give directions when she thinks a commissioner is acting inappropriately.



She has welcomed Brandis’s move to give her more powers which will mean she can silence commissioners who are speaking out of line.

Incoming freedom commissioner Tim Wilson, who will take up the role this month, declined to comment on the proposed new expanded powers.

“I have no comment to make until I see all the details of it,” he said. “I have no idea how broad or narrow it will be.”

There is nothing in the commission’s statute relating to governance except that the commissioners act collegiately — a provision Brandis plans to remove.

Triggs said it usually worked well with commissioners agreeing on policy, media statements and debating of legislation but the introduction of more commissioners in the past year meant more rigid rules needed to be laid down.

“If push came to shove at any stage I could have insisted on what I want,” she said, but she added it was reasonable to have the powers enshrined.

Triggs cited the situation last year in which Innes led a petition against Myer for the company to commit to a quota of workers with disabilities.

It stemmed from comments by Myer chief Bernie Brookes that an increase in the Medicare levy for the national disability insurance scheme meant Myer may lose money.

“I was not able to require a commissioner to act consistently with the commission’s practices which is not to target individual business or engage in petitions against individual businesses,” Triggs said.

She said that although Innes had made some “important” points he had not consulted the commission before taking his course of action.

“The powers are ultimately to direct commissioners where appropriate,” she said.

The attorney general’s office was contacted for comment.