The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has again called on Toni Pirani to fill in as Freedom of Information Commissioner as the agency struggles to find a long-term replacement.
Ms Pirani commenced her 12-month term on Friday, having previously acted in the role in 2013 and in 2023-24. Since April she has served as a special adviser on FOI decisions at the OAIC.
She fills the vacancy left by Elizabeth Tydd, who has moved into the Information Commissioner role following the departure of Angelene Falk on Thursday.
Ms Tydd had only been FOI commissioner since February 2024. Her predecessor Leo Hardiman quit after a year, complaining about a lack of resources.
As a career public servant with 35 years of experience, Ms Pirani has held senior positions at the Australian Financial Security Authority, Attorney-General’s Department, and the office of the Interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention.
She has also helped deliver the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said Ms Pirani was selected through a merit-based selection process. “I congratulate Ms Pirani on her appointment and thank her for her willingness to serve,” he said.
Blackbird scientist-in-residence Clare Birch has left the venture capital firm, as reported by Capital Brief. Ms Birch worked on investments and portfolio management across several tech startups like PsiQuantum, SunDrive, and Gilmour Space. She has also sat on the federal government’s National Quantum Advisory Committee since August 2022.
Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been appointed to the board of Australia Post. She resigned at the end of December, after nine years leading the Queensland government. She will serve a three-year term.
The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation has appointed Adam Wright as director of policy and research. Mr Wright has spent the last eight and a half years at the Industry department and also has eight years of experience at IP Australia.
Defence SA, the state’s government’s defence agency has appointed Ian Spencer as its new executive director for Defence and Industry. Mr Spencer had an almost 25-year career in the Royal Australian Navy, with much of that time spent as an engineer.
The Tech Council of Australia has appointed Sebastian Brash as a new policy manager. Mr Brash moves from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet where he was an adviser on industry, science, and technology.
The Defence Science and Research Group has sent senior scientist Dr Nick Beagley to London where he will serve as a minister counsellor out of the Australian High Commission. Dr Beagley will facilitate the Australian Defence Force’s research relationships with the United Kingdom, Europe, and NATO partners.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has appointed Adam Shain as its chief digital officer. Mr Shain had been acting in the role since July 2023. He is a career public servant, previously spending more than 20 and a half years at the Australian Taxation Office.
The 2024 ACT Scientist of the Year is Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, a senior research fellow at the Australian National University’s Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program. His work focuses on integrating electric vehicles and batteries into the power grid.
Jobs and Skills Australia has secured two new deputy commissioners in Megan Lily and Trevor Gauld. Ms Lily is executive director of the Ai Group’s centre for education and training while Mr Gauld is chief executive of Business Services Training Australia.
Chris Miller is now the permanent chief executive of state-owned energy company SEC Victoria. Mr Miller has been interim chief executive since December 2022, leading its re-establishment as a market participant after most of the business and its assets were privatised in the 1990s.
The University of New South Wales has officially launched its Institute for Industrial Decarbonisation. Its chief executive is David Eyre, the founding director of the Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre.
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