26 August 2025

The Capital Water Cooler: Comings and goings in the public service

| By Andrew McLaughlin
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Alice Linacre (left) has been appointed as the Freedom of Information Commissioner in the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Tenille Collins has been appointed as Chief Data Officer at Services Australia. Photos: LinkedIn & Royal Commission Screenshot.

A breakdown of the latest appointments in the Australian Public Service.

APS Senior Executive Service

Band 1

Joseph Fabbro has been appointed as general counsel for the Australian Taxation Office.

Tom Savage has been appointed as Assistant Secretary for Enabling Services in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Band 2

Jakub Bartkowiak is now First Assistant Secretary for Enterprise Technology Services and Digital Services in the Department of Home Affairs.

Tenille Collins has been named as Services Australia’s Chief Data Officer.

Other federal appointments

Alice Linacre will become the Freedom of Information Commissioner in the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner from 29 September.

Since 2022, Ms Linacre has held the position of First Assistant Secretary of the Courts and Commercial Division at the Attorney General’s Department. Prior to that, Ms Linacre was the Chief Counsel of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

In 2022, Ms Linacre was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in the provision and management of legal services and resources to support the government’s response to critical events, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

***

The government has reappointed 58 general members to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) for a further three-year term to continue their work since 2023 on the oldest and most complex migration and protection matters at the ART. They are: Kylie Allen, John Paul Guemy, Belinda Mericourt, Dr Adrienne Anderson, Gregory Hanson, Rebecca Mikhail, Mia Bailey, Dr Khanh Hoang, Sydelle Muling, Joanne Bakas, James Horsley, Siran Nyabally, Michael Brereton, Noelle Hossen, Damien Power, Bryn Butler, Denny Hughes, Radhika Prasad, Jason Cabarrus, Sarah Irvine, Victoria Price, Clyde Cosentino, Rachelle Johnston, Lara Proske, Alicia Devitt-Bills, Samira Kamandi, Fraser Robertson, Suseela Durvasula, Hee-Jung Kim, Inge Sheck, Suhad Dutra, Matthew King, Dr Gabrielle Simm, Jessica Edis, John Kotsifas, Michael Simmons, Xanthe Emery, Joshua Le Vay, Patricia Tyson, Jennifer Ermert, Gary Ledson, Andrew Verduci, Garry Fitzgerald, Lisa Lo Piccolo, Catherine Wall, Maria Gagliardi, Ben Lumsdaine, Gregory Weeks, Amanda Goodier, Sophie Manera, Paul White, Donald Gordon, Jessica McLeod, Carolyn Wilson, Benjamin Goulding, Stefanie Memmott, Sue Zelinka and Sophia Ziebell-Barnes.

Original Article published by Andrew McLaughlin on PS News.

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