This Government pays for expertise then prefers parachuting it’s choices in over what they paid for to look independant (ODT)

Peter Ryan, senior business correspondent at the ABC, warned on Monday that Ms Buttrose’s appointment would be controversial given she wasn’t on the supplied shortlist.

“While Ita Buttrose would be a popular choice, her appointment would still be controversial given that her name was not included after a global search by the headhunters Korn Ferry,” he said.

Media Watch host Paul Barry was surprised the government was casting the shortlist aside.

“Seriously? Is the government really going to ignore the selection panel’s advice again and appoint Ita Buttrose to ABC chair, when she’s not even on the short list?” Mr Barry wrote on Twitter.

Most recently, Ms Buttrose has co-hosted morning TV on Nine’s Today Extra, and Network Ten’s Studio Ten. She has been a News Corp and Australian Consolidated Press director, and was president of the Chief Executive Women organisation.

via Labor distances itself from the ABC chair process, but has no qualms with the result