Ms Penny McKay has been appointed as the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner, commencing 1 June 2026. The appointment of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner is made by the Governor-General, consistent with section 72 of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act 2026.

Ms McKay has been acting in role since the commencement of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission in September 2025, and was appointed following a merit-based recruitment process.

Ms McKay has extensive experience in the Australian Public Service in the areas of integrity, oversight, legal and prosecutions, including most recently as Deputy CEO of the Australian Skills Quality Authority and previously as Deputy Commonwealth Ombudsman and General Counsel of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. Ms McKay is a former Commonwealth, State and Territory prosecutor in the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Queensland and is an admitted lawyer.