Former ALP Deputy Treasurer appointed APRA deputy chair

Mike Taylor

Managing Editor and Publisher

6 July 2026

The current chair of the Board of Taxation and former Federal Labor junior minister, David Bradbury will be the new Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) deputy chair overseeing the superannuation sector.

Bradbury’s appointment was announced on Friday along with the announcement that current APRA member, Therese McCarthy Hockey has also been elevated to deputy chair, but will remain overseeing APRA’s banking oversight.

Bradbury succeeds Margaret Cole, a lawyer, in overseeing APRA’s superannuation supervision with his appointment by the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, coming at a time when concern has been expressed about the regulator’s previous oversight of the sector, particularly consolidation and the growing dominance of a few mega-funds.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has been particularly critical of APRA’s handling of superannuation of fund consolidation arguing that the regulator had been responsible for concentration risk.

Bradbury’s predecessor as APRA deputy chair responsible for superannuation came to the role from the UK with little prior experience of the Australian regulatory or superannuation regimes.

Bradbury was notably Assistant Treasurer and Parliamentary secretary to former Treasurer, Wayne Swan, who is now the chair of major industry fund, Cbus. He is currently a partner at KPMG Australia’s consulting division and Honorary Professor of Taxation at the Australian National University.

Bradbury holds a law degree from Sydney University and kicked off his career as Tax Lawyer.

Bradbury is expected to take up his position later this year with APRA chair, John Lonsdale, taking responsibility for superannuation until he arrives.

Lonsdale’s announcement of Bradbury’s appointment noted that once the two deputy chairs are in place, Suzanne Smith will continue to oversee APRA’s activities in general, life and private health insurance.