If this proposal was legislated across the Adelaide’s private sector, there would be a revolution. Nepotism and age prejudice rules the roost in the City of Churches. This story is from the SMH.
Independent MP Sophie Scamps is pushing for all major government-appointed jobs to be chosen through an independent panel process to end the jobs-for-mates culture that has pervaded federal agencies and tribunals.
Scamps proposes establishing a public appointments commissioner whose job it would be to block governments from handing lucrative appointments to political allies.
The proposal goes further than the Albanese government’s commitment to end the practice of political appointees after Finance Minister Katy Gallagher last month ordered a review into public sector board appointments that she said would “put merit and integrity back at the centre” of the process.
Scamps said Labor’s review, which will be led by former Australian public service commissioner Lynelle Briggs with findings due mid-year, would offer limited reform because it was focused on board appointments only.
“It doesn’t go nearly far enough. What I’m proposing is a gold-standard, best-practice model for making sure we have an independent and transparent process,” Scamps said.
Scamps’ bill limits a minister’s role to determining the selection criteria for a job at the start of recruitment and then appointing a candidate from a shortlist compiled by new independent selection panels inside Commonwealth departments.