John McKechnie's controversial exit has left Western Australia with a part-time corruption watchdog despite "significant" investigations remaining unfinished.
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Mr McKechnie's reign as head of the Corruption and Crime Commission is over after a parliamentary committee declined to unanimously endorse his reappointment.
Both Premier Mark McGowan and opposition leader Liza Harvey had backed Mr McKechnie to serve another five-year term.
In a statement on Tuesday, the CCC confirmed barrister Scott Ellis had been appointed acting commissioner.
He will lead the CCC on a part-time basis while maintaining his legal practice until a new commissioner is appointed.
"Significant" investigations remained unfinished, including probes into the misuse of parliamentary allowances, serious misconduct in state prisons, corruption within the Department of Communities and alleged excessive use of force by WA police officers.
"Commissioner McKechnie leaves the Corruption and Crime Commission a much better organisation than the one at which he commenced in 2015," the CCC said.
"He has restored the focus and confidence of those within the commission to exposing and disrupting corruption in the WA public sector."
The premier has accused Liberal MP Jim Chown of blocking the reappointment, which he has linked to the CCC's ongoing probe into electoral allowances.
But Labor MP and committee chair Margaret Quirk has lashed "unfounded speculation" on the confidential deliberations.
The government has introduced extraordinary legislation seeking Mr McKechnie's reappointment but the Liberals have refused to support it.
Mr McKechnie had been the clear stand-out in a field of candidates including former South Australian attorney general John Rau, the premier said.
"It might well continue in its current state for a considerable period of time whilst we try and get Mr McKechnie reappointed," he said.
"You can't give in to terrorists. You give in to terrorists they just continue to terrorise, and that's what the Liberal Party is doing."
Mr McKechnie last year revealed former Liberal MP Phil Edman used his allowance on acting as a "sugar daddy" to women he met online, visiting strip clubs and paying speeding fines, while a seized laptop allegedly contained material implicating other MPs.
Australian Associated Press
