Former academic grilled over ALP connections A FORMER academic has been quizzed over links to the Labor Party before his "blatant political appointment" to a $332,000 job at the Human Rights Commission less than three weeks before the federal election. The Rudd government appointed Tim Soutphommasane as race discrimination commissioner, effective from August 20. He was one of 40 candidates for the position, which commission president Gillian Triggs told a Senate hearing yesterday was ``without question" a non-political and non-partisan role. Dr Soutphommasane was one of three candidates shortlisted for consideration by then attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. ``All three were equal recommendations to the attorney," Professor Triggs said, adding there was no further discussion with her about the final selection. Only Dr Soutphommasane had been a member of a political party. He resigned from the Labor Party in July after it was clear he would be appointed as race discrimination commissioner. Dr Soutphommasane, under questioning from Liberal senator Sean Edwards, agreed that in July 2012 he wrote that any Tony Abbott premiership would reflect the man: ``The muscular Christianity, the Anglo-centrism, the combative instincts, the conservative ideology. Senator Edwards questioned whether such comments indicated he had taken a partisan role in politics. At the time Dr Soutphommasane was a political philosopher at Monash University. Until July 2013 he had been a member of the ALP for 16 years. For a time was employed as a speechwriter for then NSW Premier Bob Carr and worked on Labor's federal election campaign in 2007. Senator Edwards asked Professor Triggs asked why Dr Soutphommasane's connection with the ALP did not disqualify him from a non-partisan and non-political role with the commission especially so close to an election. Attorney-General George Brandis said he was not consulted about the appointment or any others by Mr Dreyfus, unlike his Labor predecessor Nicola Roxon. Senator Edwards was scathing of the process, describing it as a ``blatant political appointment," notwithstanding Dr Soutphommasane's academic qualifications. ``It just looks to me and to the Australian public $332,000 a year as a patronage appointment. The head of the attorney-general's department Roger Wilkins said it was not his call to reconsider the appointment.