The Tasmanian Government will on Monday announce a new Commissioner for Children.
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The Governor is expected to appoint Leanne McLean, the chief of staff to deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
A five member panel recommended Ms McLean who has 10 years’ experience working in education and training.
She has recently stepped down from her position in Mr Rockliff’s office.
It is believed Mr Rockliff was absent from Cabinet when the appointment was considered.
A probity audit of the selection process conducted by WLF Accounting and Advisory determined that the process was conducted “fairly and equitably to all parties.”
It is not known if the interim Children’s Commissioner, David Clements, applied for the position as Commissioner.
However, Labor’s human services spokesman Josh Willie said the new Commissioner must be “100 per cent independent.”
“It is critically important that the Commissioner for Children is 100 per cent independent in order to be a frank and fearless voice for the children of Tasmania,” Mr Willie said.
“The previous Commissioner for Children, Mark Morrissey, resigned for personal reasons after his relationship with the government deteriorated.
“Tasmanians would be appalled if the Liberal Government was attempting to avoid scrutiny through yet another political appointment.”
When she appointed Mr Clements in September last year, former Human Services Minister Jacquie Petrusma said the government was “acting to ensure the position is not left vacant while we undertake a nationwide recruitment process for a permanent Commissioner.”
Tasmania’s first Children’s Commissioner was appointed in 2010.
Ms McLean will be the fifth in eight years.
At budget estimates this year Independent member for Mersey, Mike Gaffney, questioned new Human Services Minister Roger Jaensch about why a commissioner had not yet been appointed and why there had been so many people in the role.
“That’s a high turnover in such a significant position. What's not working as well as it could be, to retain our commissioners?,” Mr Gaffney said.
The Commissioner is an impartial and independent statutory officer who answers to the Tasmanian Parliament.