CHILDREN'S Commissioner Paul Mason was yesterday dumped after three years in the role - and left with a parting shot for Children's Minister Lin Thorp.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
An international search for the new commissioner found the best person for the job was already working in the Department of Health and Human Services.
The government has appointed Aileen Ashford, who has been driving reforms of child and family services for the past two years.
Mr Mason did not criticise the independent panel's recommendation, but said that the decision was clearly made by the minister and cabinet.
Mr Mason handed a damning report into the failures of Tasmania's child protection system to the government in late July.
A spokesman for the Premier confirmed the independent panel recommended Ms Ashford on September 24 and Mr Mason's report was publicly released on October 6.
When asked if she was the best person to be scrutinising the system she helped put in place, Ms Ashford said that her experience within DHHS was an advantage.
"I actually think that my work with the system gives me a fairly unique vantage point that other commissioners haven't had," she said.
"I understand that system intimately, so I would take that with me into this role and use that in my independent role."
Ms Ashford would not comment on any questions on what she would do in her role.
She said that she was not due to take up the job until October 25 and until then it would not be appropriate to comment.
Ms Ashford said that she was passionate about children and being a strong advocate for them.
She did not agree with Mr Mason's calls for more investigative powers to be given to the commissioner's role, and said the role already had wide- ranging powers.
Ms Ashford said she could not comment on changes that needed to be made in child protection until she took up her new role.
MLC Vanessa Goodwin said that the decision to replace Mr Mason had "neutered" the independence of the position.
"The person responsible for managing a system that Mr Mason described as containing systemic failures will now be responsible for providing oversight of her own reforms," she said.
Dr Goodwin also criticised Children's Minister Lin Thorp for not showing up to Question Time yesterday afternoon to answer questions about the appointment.
Ms Thorp has a meeting in Canberra today.
Premier David Bartlett said that Dr Goodwin's comments slandered the professionalism of the five members of the independent panel.