Political perks that benefit both major parties are rarely reformed. And so, for choosing to actually do something about the Administrative Appeals Tribunal – too often a well-paid sinecure for party insiders and hangers on – Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus deserves every credit.

Last week, parliament passed legislation establishing the Administrative Review Tribunal, which will replace it. It is, in function, the old AAT, only with appointments now subject to a departmental “merit” assessment.