The PM has been accused of abandoning a merit-based hiring commitment.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has appointed Stephanie Foster as the new head of Home Affairs, replacing Mike Pezzullo. 

The move comes less than a month after the government pledged to follow merit-based practices for all department secretaries.

Pezzullo was dismissed on Monday after he was found to have violated the public service code of conduct on at least 14 occasions. 

Albanese, under pressure to address fallout from the High Court’s indefinite detention judgement, announced Foster's immediate appointment on Tuesday.

Albanese appointed Foster without advertising the position or conducting a competitive selection process. Foster's appointment is effective immediately and runs for five years. 

Albanese highlighted Foster's experience as the acting Home Affairs secretary, her previous roles in defence and infrastructure departments, and her oversight of cabinet and government functions in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).

Labor, previously critical of the Coalition's secretary selections, had been tlaking about the need for merit-based appointments to prevent politicisation of the senior bureaucracy. 

Albanese's decision to bypass the merit-based approach has sparked controversy. 

Insiders have alleged that Foster's appointment followed normal processes and recommendations from PM&C head Glyn Davis, questions persist about the deviation from the pledged merit-based selections.

The Thodey public service review in 2019, led by Davis and Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer, had recommended a transparent and rigorous appointment process for APS leadership. 

This shift toward merit-based appointments aimed to instil confidence in the public that the right individuals were in leadership roles.

Foster, with a background in defence signals, has been criticised for her involvement in secret ministerial appointments for ex-PM Scott Morrison.