New era for CCC as state names Bruce Barbour new crime watchdog boss

The Attorney-General has named the next head of the powerful corruption watchdog six months after Alan MacSporran’s departure following a damning parliamentary inquiry into the culture within the organisation.

Crime and Corruption Commission boss Bruce Barbour has been permanently appointed to the powerful role almost six months after the departure of Alan MacSporran.

Mr Barbour was on Friday selected as chair of the state’s corruption watchdog by Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman.

He had been acting in the role since January 2022 after the departure of long-term predecessor Mr MacSporran, who resigned following a damning parliamentary inquiry into the culture within the organisation.

Bruce Barbour has been permanently appointed chair of the Crime and Corruption Commission, Parliament House, Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Attorney-General said Mr Barbour was permanently appointed to the role this month following a “thorough interview process” and an independent selection panel.

“The chair of the CCC is one of the most important jobs in Queensland,” she said.

“It is Queensland’s peak anti-corruption agency, and I have the utmost confidence that Mr Barbour will lead the organisation with distinction.”

Mr Barbour was appointed as an ordinary commissioner of the CCC last year with the bipartisan support of the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee – the watchdog’s oversight body.

Former CCC chair Alan MacSporran QC. Photographer: Liam Kidston

He has previously been the New South Wales Ombudsman for 15 years, a senior member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and a member of the NSW Casino Control Authority.

Mr Barbour’s appointment will begin on Saturday for a term of three years.

The three-year appointment of the CCC chair comes after a review of the watchdog in December recommended its chairman and deputy chairman be appointed for a single, non-renewable term.

That recommendation was supported by the Palaszczuk government, which pledged to consider the proposal.

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman has revealed the government attempted to appoint Mr Barbour for a five-year period, but said that term was blocked by the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee (PCCC).

Ms Fentiman said PCCC chair Jon Krause told her on June 30 there was “no bipartisan support for Mr Barbour unless it was a three-year term”.

The Crime and Corruption Act requires bipartisan support for the appointment.

“Despite the Leader of the Opposition standing up on Tuesday answering your question, saying that he would support a five-year term, (Professor Peter) Coledrake said we need five-year terms for directors general to ensure their independence and I think of course, the same should go for the chair of the CCC … so this is another example of the LNP saying something and doing something completely different.

“Maybe they think that they can appoint their own chair if they win the next election, which shows me they don’t want independence in this role at all.”

Mr Krause, in a letter to Ms Fentiman, said the committee was supportive of the three-year term agreed on June 29, but did not accept her subsequent push to increase it to five years by June 30.

He noted a review of the CCC was ongoing and “this could lead to a period of significant transition at the CCC”.

Mr Krause said the non-renewable appointment had not yet been legislated, opening the door for Mr Barbour to be reappointed.