By Will Nicholas in Canberra

Australia will soon have a new man in charge of stamping out corruption.

After its inaugural holder Paul Brereton resigned two years before the end of his term, over long-running allegations of conflict of interest, former Labor MP Robert McClelland will take the reins of the national corruption watchdog.

A former attorney-general to prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, Justice McClelland has been a Family Court judge since 2015, rising to deputy chief justice three years later under the previous coalition government.

His appointment as National Anti-Corruption commissioner ends a months-long hunt for a successor to Mr Brereton, who quit in July saying the controversies swirling around him had distracted from the agency’s work.

The now former commissioner had stepped away from all defence-related corruption referrals in 2025 after it was uncovered he was still working as a consultant with the inspector-general of the Australian Defence Force.

He was also found to have been biased during the watchdog’s decision not to pursue referrals from the Robodebt scandal, the reversal of which led to two public servants being ruled to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct.

Justice McClelland will be joined by a new deputy commissioner, former Australian Securities and Investments Commission executive director Christopher Savundra, and will take office in January 2027.

“I congratulate Deputy Chief Justice McClelland and Mr Savundra on their proposed appointments,” Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said in a statement on Monday.

“I have confidence in their ability to contribute to its important work to enhance integrity across the Commonwealth public sector.”

Mr Brereton’s resignation triggered calls for more transparency in the corruption commission’s recruitment process, including holding public hearings.

The body’s parliamentary oversight committee unanimously approved Justice McClelland and Mr Savundra for their new roles, with Ms Rowland insisting the selection process had been open, competitive and merit-based.

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