Ousted Liberal Jane Prentice among new AAT appointments

Jane Prentice, who was ousted in a 2018 preselection contest, is among a raft of new appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Former Liberal MP Jane Prentice. Picture: AAP

Former Liberal assistant minister Jane Prentice, who was ousted in a 2018 preselection contest, is among a raft of new appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 

Alongside the Morrison government's pre-Christmas cabinet reshuffle, Attorney-General Christian Porter announced two new division heads and 12 members who will serve on the independent body from next year.

Current members Fiona Meagher and Karen Synon will take the helm of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and ­Social Services and Child Support divisions respectively.

Ms Synon, a Victorian Liberal senator in the late 1990s, was reappointed to a part-time position in the tribunal in September ­despite the head of the Social Services and Child Support division being available at the time.

Ms Prentice, who served as the assistant minister for social and disability services in the Turnbull government, is one of four new full-time members appointed to the tribunal. She was dumped by the LNP in Queensland as the candidate for the Brisbane seat of Ryan during the preselection process in 2018.

Among the other new ­appointments are ex-Liberal staffer Naomi Dougall and former Victorian Labor minister Philip Dalidakis.

Mr Porter also appointed John Rau, who served as South Australia’s deputy premier from 2011 to 2018, as a part-time senior member. Mr Rau, who was also South Australia’s attorney-general, quit state politics days after Labor lost the 2018 state election.