Plum jobs worth up to $500,000 a year were extended to Liberal Party-linked individuals by the Morrison government in the dying days of the 46th parliament.
Many of the appointments to the Administrative Appeal Tribunal (AAT) were not due to end for another two years.
Analysis by the ABC of the latest round of appointments, promotions and term extensions on the AAT has raised fresh questions about the integrity of the selection process.
In addition to fielding accusations that it stacked the AAT with former politicians, staffers, party supporters and donors, the Coalition is now being criticised for rushing through a number of non-urgent term extensions, instead of leaving them for an incoming government to handle.
Among those who have had their time on the AAT pushed out is Karen Synon, who briefly served as a Liberal senator for Victoria in the late 1990s.
She was first appointed to the tribunal in July 2015, and her term was not due to expire until December 2023 — another 20 months.
However, in the week before Prime Minister Scott Morrison set the election date for May 21, triggering the federal government's caretaker provisions, Attorney-General Michaelia Cash extended Ms Synon's term through until May 2027.
Ms Synon is a deputy president of the AAT, on a salary of close to $500,000.
Former Victorian state Liberal MP Donna Petrovich's term on the AAT was also due to expire in December next year, but her tenure as a full-time member was extended by the same duration.
Donald Morris, a former Liberal advisor, still had more than two and a half years on his term left — through to November 2024.
Last week, Mr Morris's tenure as a full-time senior member was extended through to May 2027 as well, along with his salary of more than $390,000.
Barrister and director of the Centre for Public Integrity Geoffrey Watson SC said there was no clear explanation for the urgency of the term extensions.
"I wish I could be surprised — unfortunately, I'm not surprised at all," he said.
"It's just evidence of a deeper and more extensive manipulation of the membership of the AAT.
The Coalition also extended the tenure of former South Australian Labor senator Linda Kirk, now an academic, by another five years — despite her term still having 21 months left.
Mr Watson — a long-term critic of the Coalition's management of the AAT and its handling of the debate for a national anti-corruption commission — was not convinced that the moves absolved the Coalition of further scrutiny.
"It's in the interests of the current government to sprinkle a few positions or appointments around to their opposition, because what goes around comes around," he said.
"It's actually the takeover of the independence of the AAT — the whole idea is bad."
Others who had their terms extended well before they were due to expire include Rachel Westaway, who was a former Liberal candidate for the New South Wales parliament.
Prime Minister's former chief of staff among those given new roles
Last week, the Coalition was slammed for a range of new appointments and promotions at the AAT.
A former chief of staff to Scott Morrison, Ann Duffield, was appointed for five years as a part-time senior member of the AAT.
Former New South Wales state Liberal minister Pru Goward was appointed a full-time senior member, also for five years, while former West Australian state Liberal MP Michael Mischin was given the role of deputy president.
Justin Owen — a lifetime member of the Sydney University Liberal Club — was promoted to deputy president in the last round. Former West Australian Labor senator Mark Bishop was also elevated to full-time senior member of the AAT.
"Realistically, an incoming government would have no chance of removing the people who have just been appointed by the Coalition," Mr Watson said.
"It is possible to legislate so that an independent body would be set up, which can sift through and select the people who are suitable for the AAT."
Last month, a Senate committee recommended legislation establish an independent panel to consider all AAT appointments.
Coalition senators on the inquiry, Sarah Henderson and Paul Scarr, rejected those recommendations.
