Attorney-general George Brandis has reappointed Timothy Pilgrim as acting information commissioner, indicating the government’s plans to abolish the privacy and freedom of information watchdog are still on hold.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) said in a statement on Friday that Pilgrim – whose term was due to expire on Monday – had been reappointed for three months.
Pilgrim had previously been privacy commissioner in the OAIC, alongside a freedom of information commissioner and an overarching information commissioner.
But the government announced plans to abolish the OAIC in May 2014. John McMillan subsequently left the position of information commissioner to become acting New South Wales ombudsman.
Pilgrim’s reappointment signals the office will continue for the foreseeable future, but the government has announced no long term plans for the office or sought to appoint statutory officers to occupy the remaining roles in the organisation.
Labor, the Greens and five of the eight crossbench senators have stated their opposition to the abolition of the OAIC, meaning the government has little prospect of getting the legislation through the Senate.
