Nicole Rose PSM commenced as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AUSTRAC in November 2017.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has given his overwhelming backing to the head of the financial crimes watchdog, after a media report suggested AUSTRAC sat on vital evidence regarding online child exploitation.
A News Corp investigation into the $75 million Westpac money laundering scandal, linked to child exploitation that was revealed by AUSTRAC last year, claims the watchdog's CEO Nicole Rose bungled and sat on vital evidence.
Asked on ABC television's Insiders program whether AUSTRAC sat on evidence, Mr Dutton who has responsibility for the independent agency said: "No, it didn't."
"And this hatchet job on Nicole Rose should be seen for what it is," he said.
"Nicole has taken AUSTRAC to an unprecedented level of success not only with the banks, but many of the criminal syndicates that they're now working on with the ACIC (Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission) and the Australian Federal Police and their state counterparts as well."
But Labor's home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally believes there are serious questions to be answered about AUSTRAC's protocols and processes when it becomes aware of suspected child abuse.
Govt backs financial crimes watchdog
Senate Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
Nicole Rose’s rise to top job at Austrac examined as agency accused of bungling case
Senate Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
The CEO of Austrac, Nicole Rose, was parachuted into the job running the $75 million agency in a “unique” behind-the-scenes deal.
Nicole Rose rise from an executive administrative position in the NSW Police Commissioner's office to running one of the nation's peak law enforcement agencies reveals a trail of puzzling moves, curious career history claims and "unique" appointment processes.
Freedom of Information documents show Ms Rose has been parachuted into two CEO positions controlling important law enforcement agencies in deals signed off by former Liberal Justice Minister Michael Keenan.
Documents reveal Ms Rose, whose only formal tertiary qualification is a Hotel School Diploma of Hospitality Management, began her sudden career trajectory into federal agencies in 2015 when appointed as CEO of CrimTrac, a former law enforcement agency liaising with police. At the time she held an executive administration position as the director of the office of NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione.
Mr Keenan said he wanted to "directly appoint a person as the new head of CrimTrac, without conducting a full selection process." Under her tenure CrimTrac signed off on a $52 million biometric identification system deal. The deal was abandoned and is the subject of a big lawsuit.
In late 2017 Mr Keenan then gave Ms Rose the $500,000 a year job running the Austrac agency in a "unique" behind-the-scenes deal as an "eminent person". It caused controversy because she was originally the contact person for candidates and sat on the four-person selection panel interviewing the "preferred" candidates.
An eight-month investigation into the selection process and Ms Rose's background reveals she got the job ahead of highly-qualified candidates, with some denied even an interview. Law enforcement circles were stunned, especially when a judge, barristers, experienced police and a former Commissioner were in the running. FOI documents show a senior official discussing the "unique" process of her appointment. Mr Keenan said last week he was "not interested" in commenting.
When Mr Keenan announced her appointment he said Ms Rose "contributed significantly to the planning and policy direction of high-profile operations including the 2005 Cronulla riots, the 2007 APEC conference and the 2008 World Youth Day". But senior police said she might have attended meetings, but played no day-to-day operational role.
Claims made by officials about her career are also surprising. CrimTrac and Austrac annual reports list Ms Rose as having "tertiary qualifications in business and management". But the CV provided by Ms Rose to The Sunday Telegraph shows no tertiary qualifications in business and management before she became a NSW Premier's Department protocol officer.
According to her CV, Ms Rose joined the NSW Innocence Panel — an administrative body to review convictions — as a "senior policy and executive officer" from 2002 to 2004. CrimTrac's 2015-2016 annual report said she had been "instrumental in the establishment and operation of the panel". However the panel was set up and had its first meeting in 2001, before Ms Rose said she joined, and it was suspended in July, 2003, for insufficient checks and balances.An Austrac spokeswoman for Ms Rose, who has been awarded the public service medal for her contribution to law enforcement, said she has had a distinguished career in Australia's law enforcement, criminal justice and intelligence agencies.
The CEO of Austrac, Nicole Rose, was parachuted into the job running the $75 million ...
The financial crimes watchdog, one of the lead agencies in the Department of Home Affairs’ push to combat online child sex exploitation, has potentially bungled a case after sitting on evidence of potential crimes for more than a year.