Communications Minister Helen Coonan has told Parliament that ACMA Deputy Chair Lyn Maddock is doing a good job acting in the top job at ACMA, while Coonan finalises the position of full time ACMA Chair.

Senator Coonan has told Parliament during Senate Question Time:

“…The merger [of ACA and ABA] focused on institutional arrangements and has not been accompanied yet by changes to the existing regulatory and very important spectrum planning frameworks. But the government has said that it will consider what changes there need to be a little later on, particularly when the new chair has been installed.

On 24th June, the government announced the appointment of a number of ACMA members. Ms Lyn Maddock has been appointed as the Deputy Chair of ACMA and Mr Chris Cheah has been appointed as a full-time member. Mr Rod Shogren, Professor Gerard Anderson, Mr Malcolm Long and Ms Johanna Plante have been appointed as part-time members…

With respect to the finding of a chair, I have taken the view that it is very important that we get the right person, and we do have at least a couple of people who we need to consider carefully in terms of whether or not ultimately the appointment of either of them should proceed.

In the meantime, the deputy chair, Ms Maddock, is currently the Acting Chair of ACMA and she is doing a very good job. The government has every confidence that ACMA is functioning very effectively and is very able to carry out its functions.

As I have said on previous occasions, speculation over the possible chair of ACMA certainly does not add any value at all to this process and is, in fact, quite unhelpful. The announcement of the Chair of ACMA will be made at the appropriate time.”