Ex-senator scores gig on appeals tribunal

FORMER Tasmanian Liberal senator Stephen Parry is the latest from his party to be appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Attorney-General Christian Porter announced yesterday the former senate president had been handed a seven-year part-time appointment to the tribunal.

He joins former Bass Liberal MHR Andrew Nikolic and former state Energy Minister Matthew Groom in being appointed to the tribunal, which reviews administrative decisions made under more than 400 commonwealth laws. This includes decisions on child support, migration and refugee visas and commonwealth workers’ compensation. As senior members of the tribunal, Mr Nikolic and Mr Groom earn between $231,500 and $376,710.

It was unclear yesterday how much part-time tribunal members were paid.

Mr Parry resigned from the senate in November 2017 after getting caught up in the dual citizenship crisis that engulfed Canberra that year. He held UK citizenship. Mr Parry was replaced in the Upper House by Richard Colbeck.

Mr Porter announced Mr Parry’s appointment to the tribunal along with 33 other new appointments.

“In recent years, the tribunal has experienced a significant increase in the number of applications being lodged,” Mr Porter said.

“These appointments will provide the tribunal with more resources to undertake the important function of conducting merits reviews of Government decisions.”