It is incredible that the AHRC President, Gillian Triggs,
warned on Monday that Mr Wilson's appointment as a commissioner to the AHRC - with a salary of about $320,000 a year - may have to come at the expense of programs on school bullying and education for older Australians.
The Attorney-General rightly points out that the staffing budget for the AHRC has risen by $5.4 million over the past 3 years - an increase of almost 50 per cent over that period.
As at 30 June 2013, the organisation comprised 143 staff:6 statutory (ie: the President and Commissioners), 1 SES Band 2, 2 SES Band 1, 26 EL2, 33 EL1, 32 APS6 and 43 other.
It has been stacked by the luvvies and now Tim Wilson will be one out of 143 (or thereabouts). The Human Rights Commissioner will be vastly outnumbered by those who want to deny him human rights.
Triggs should resign in disgrace. She has shown herself unable, as the organisation's CEO, to control expenditure which has spiraled out of control with her in charge.
Once Triggs has resigned, the Attorney-General should appoint Tim Wilson as President and Human Rights Commissioner.
Catherine Branson was appointed President of the HRC on 7 August 2008 and then appointed the Human Rights Commissioner on 12 July 2009 before resigning from the Commission on 29 July 2012.
So there is precedent for Tim to be both the President and Human Rights Commissioner.
Brandis should make it so.