Michele Bullock Reserve Bank of Australia appointment praised by employers, economists

In a sign of bipartisan support for Ms Bullock, opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor praised her selection.

"Michele Bullock is a highly capable economist ... who has served the Reserve Bank with distinction for 38 years," Mr Taylor said.

His remarks came a day after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Thursday appeared to scuttle hopes for bipartisanship on the new governor when he objected to the possible appointment of senior public servants to the role.

Veteran Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said the federal government's decision to pick Ms Bullock to lead the central bank through a period of significant change was "a really good move".

Mr Evans said in the short time Ms Bullock had been RBA deputy governor - she was appointed to the role in April last year - she had shown considerable acumen and courage.

Mr Evans said while it was "early days" in assessing her ability as a communicator, the public talks she had given as deputy governor had been "very well-received and well-crafted".

The Westpac economist said a recent speech in which Ms Bullock talked about the RBA's "goal" for the unemployment rate to reach 4.5 per cent to be consistent with full employment as an "encouraging sign that she has that intellectual confidence".

Former RBA board member and Australian National University economist Professor Warwick McKibbin said Ms Bullock was "very smart, a very good economist and a really nice person".

Prof McKibbin, who was Ms Bullock's first boss when she joined the RBA in 1986, said she treated people both above and below her with respect.

While Ms Bullock's appointment appears to continue the recent tradition of appointing governors from within the central bank, the ANU economist said that was a little misleading.

He said in most of her time at the central bank, Ms Bullock had worked in areas separate to those involved in monetary policy, which made her an outsider in central bank terms.

And her experience in multiple roles in the RBA meant she knew how the central bank worked in terms of its structure and incentives, he said.

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Prof McKibbin welcomed the government's decision to appoint Ms Bullock rather than Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy because he thought it was important to preserve the RBA's independence from Treasury.

The ANU economist expected Ms Bullock to be an effective communicator, saying that while she treated people with respect, she readily "calls a spade a spade".

Peak employer organisation Ai Group, meanwhile, described Ms Bullock as "an excellent choice".

"The incoming governor will provide continuity at a precarious time for the global and domestic economy," Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said.

"Ms Bullock has a strong track record of consulting closely across the economy, including with business," he said.