29 August 2017

Government appointments

Treasurer, the Hon. Scott Morrison, today announced that the Governor-General has appointed the Honourable Justice Jennifer Davies and reappointed the Honourable Justice Lindsay Foster as part-time Deputy Presidents to the Australian Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) each for five-years.

The Tribunal is an independent statutory tribunal that hears applications for authorisation of company mergers and acquisitions which would otherwise be prohibited under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA). The Tribunal also considers appeals on certain Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) decisions, including decisions to grant or refuse merger clearances, reviews of decisions under Part IIIA of the CCA (national access regime) and other authorisation decisions made by the ACCC.

Justice Davies was first appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court in 2013. Her Honour has a strong background in competition law, being a member of the Federal Court’s Economic Regulator, Competition and Access sub-area. She practiced as a solicitor from 1987 until 1990 after which she was admitted as a Barrister at the Victorian Bar.

Justice Foster has extensive experience on the Tribunal. His Honour was first appointed as an acting Deputy President in 2011 and was then appointed as a Deputy President in 2012. Before being appointed a Federal Court Judge, he spent almost 30 years as a Barrister and later a Senior Counsel specialising in competition law, amongst other areas. He has maintained expertise in competition as a national coordinating Judge of the Federal Court’s Economic Regulator, Competition and Access Sub-area.

This Tribunal will now consist of a part-time President, six part-time Deputy Presidents and seven part-time members.

The Government has also appointed the Hon. Dr Peter Hendy as a part-time member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission for a five-year period.

The Commonwealth Grants Commission is a statutory authority whose role is to provide advice to the Government on how the revenues raised from the goods and services tax (GST) should be distributed amongst the States and Territories each year to achieve horizontal fiscal equalisation.

Dr Hendy is a highly experienced senior leader, having previously held the roles of Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and National Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Dr Hendy also holds a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours, as well as a PhD, and was most recently the Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Dr Hendy is joined on the Commission by the Chairperson, Mr Greg Smith, Dr Lynne Williams and Professor Jeffrey Petchey.