Attorney-General Michaelia Cash has defended the government against allegations it has stacked the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with Liberal mates.
The government has been under fire for appointing former Liberal MPs and staffers to cushy jobs at the tribunal, just days out from an election being called.
Senator Cash on Monday announced 19 new appointments to the tribunal, which independently reviews a range of administrative decisions made by the government.
The new appointments included former West Australian Liberal minister Michael Mischin to the $500,000 role of AAT deputy president and ex-Liberal MPs Pru Goward and Peter Katsambanis.
Labor has long attacked the government for politicising the tribunal while in government and giving well-paid jobs to its Liberal supporters.
“Just days out from the election Michaelia Cash appoints another six Liberal mates, including two defeated WA Liberal MPs, to lucrative taxpayer funded jobs on the AAT paying up $496,000 a year,” shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus tweeted on Monday.
“That’s at least 85 Liberal mates on the AAT now since 2013.”
Senator Cash defended the appointments when she was grilled by Labor at senate estimates on Tuesday.
“I challenge you to xjmtzywpoint out which one of those 19 new appointments are not qualified,” Ms Cash said.
“Fifteen of the 19 new appointments … are legally qualified, including eight barristers. I would argue that having those legally qualified people is an asset to the AAT.”
