Corruption and Crime Commission boss John McKechnie seeking reappointment amid legal battle over State MPs’ electoral allowances

John McKechnie is seeking reappointment as the Corruption and Crime Commission boss, six months after threatening to resign amid a legal battle with State Parliament’s Upper House. The former Supreme Court judge’s five-year term ends on April 28 and it is understood that he believes he has “unfinished business”, with the CCC in the middle of an investigation into State MPs’ electoral allowances. The 69-year-old is one of the highest-paid members of the WA public service, receiving a CCC salary of $441,000 plus a judicial pension of $272,000 a year. Mr McKechnie is expected to be on a list of three names to be presented to Premier Mark McGowan by WA Chief Justice Peter Quinlan, who chairs the nominating committee, within the next few weeks. However, his reappointment is no certainty as he requires majority and bipartisan support of the four MPs who sit on the CCC joint standing committee. Mr McKechnie angered MPs across the political divide when the Department of Premier and Cabinet handed his investigators MPs’ private emails as part of the expenses probe. RELATED: Why WA MP’s are spooked over electoral allowances He signalled he could resign if the Upper House privileges committee brought contempt proceedings against him or DPC boss Darren Foster. It did not eventuate but the investigation into expenses has been stalled by the Supreme Court battle with the Legislative Council over the CCC’s access to the laptops and hard drives of disgraced former Liberal MP Phil Edman. The CCC alleged that Mr Edman used his electorate allowance to fund trysts with women he met on a “sugar daddy” website, while WA Police is conducting its own investigation into the contents of the devices. Attorney-General John Quigley has demanded the laptops — which Mr Edman was covertly recorded saying have “enough stuff ... to bury f...en a lot of people and ruin political careers” — be handed over to the CCC. The stoush is back in court and mediation this week, a month after the deadline for applications for the CCC top job closed. Only people who have served, or are qualified for appointment, as a Supreme Court judge can be commissioner. Mr McKechnie last year raised the issue of his term expiring, telling reporters he would consider “in due course” whether to stay and said it was “privilege” to be part of the crime-fighting team. “When I joined this organisation nearly five years ago, it was a bit bruised and battered,” Mr McKechnie said at the time. “I think you’ve seen in the last few years since some of the things we’ve reported and done that it is a small organisation which has the public’s interest at heart, it has extremely competent people at all levels who are contributing to the public good and it is a privilege to be part of that team.” He declined to comment this week. A spokeswoman for Mr Quigley said it would be inappropriate to comment with the process under way.