Sophie Scamps’ legislation would provide the layers of due process, oversight and accountability that voters have been crying out for.
The 1999 republic referendum failed not for love of the queen, but because not enough voters believed our federal Parliament could be trusted to appoint a president (even by a two-thirds majority). In the 24 years since, the Australian public has not developed more respect for and confidence in the integrity of our elected representatives than it had back then.
It is unsurprising, therefore, that the serial atrocities committed by the Coalition government in the field of governance — including but not limited to its stacking of boards and tribunals with its mates — has pierced the public’s unconsciousness and become rather a big thing.
The gap between public demand for better governance and the major parties’ willingness to provide it will be exposed by the fate of independent MP Sophie Scamps’ bill that lands in the House of Representatives today. The Transparent and Quality Public Appointments Bill — codename “Ending Jobs for Mates” — is designed to call time on the free-for-all under which highly paid and high-status government posts have been handed to whoever the relevant minister of the day likes.
Read more about Scamps’ bill…
Become a subscriber to get full access to the website, as well as our premium newsletters.
Join us
Already a subscriber? Log in to keep reading.
Discussion about this post