In a late Friday, pre-Christmas, announcement, Treasurer Joe Hockey has appointed a deselected Liberal MP, Patrick Secker, to the Foreign Investment Review Board.

The appointment is part-time for five years.

In his announcement, Hockey said: “Mr Secker has extensive experience in agriculture and agribusiness over a number of decades. His appointment to the Foreign Investment Review Board fulfils a commitment by the Government to expand this area of the Board’s expertise.”

Secker was the Liberal member for Barker in South Australia for 15 years from 1998. He left the Parliament at this year’s election, having lost preselection to Mount Gambier lawyer Tony Pasin in March 2012. In a plebiscite of 282 party members, Secker won just 78 votes to Pasin’s 164, with a third candidate polling 40 votes. [Read more…]