ABC and SBS nominations panel appointed

The government has appointed a panel of four to oversee future nominations for vacancies on the boards of the ABC and SBS.

They are Professor Allan Fels, formerly of the ACCC, Leenen Forde, a former Queensland Governor, David Gonski, formerly of the Australia Council and Ric Smith, previously an Australian Ambassador who also serves as the panel chairman.

The panel will provide the Minister for Communications with a shortlist of three candidates for each board vacancy.

Press Release:
The Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Mr Terry Moran AO, has appointed the following members of the Nomination Panel for appointments to the Boards of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS):

Mr Ric Smith AO PSM has been appointed to chair the Nomination Panel for a period of three years. Mr Smith was Secretary of the Department of Defence from 2002 to 2006 and had previously served as Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia and to the People’s Republic of China.

Professor Allan Fels AO has been appointed as a member for a period of three years. Professor Fels is currently Dean of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He was Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from 1995 until 30 June 2003.

Ms Leneen Forde AC has been appointed as a member for a period of two years. Ms Forde has been Chancellor of Griffith University since 2000 and was Governor of Queensland from 1992 to 1997.

Mr David Gonski AC has been appointed as a member for a period of two years. Mr Gonski has been Chancellor of the University of New South Wales since 2005 and is chairman and director of a number of major companies. He was Chairman of the Australia Council from 2002 to 2005.

The Nomination Panel will:

conduct a selection process for non-executive Members and Chairpersons to the Boards, based on the principle of merit and having regard to the selection criteria provided by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy; and

provide the Minister with a written shortlist of at least three recommended candidates for each vacancy with a comparative assessment of the recommended candidates.

The panel will be assisted in carrying out these functions by a secretariat within the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Broadband and, as required, a recruitment firm.

Source: Dept of PM & Cabinet