New Legislation to End ‘Jobs for Mates’ Culture in Australia’s Politics

Government employees are seen entering the Alfred Street Public Housing Complex in Melbourne, Australia, on July 17, 2020. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

An independent Australian MP has tabled a bill to eradicate the “jobs for mates” culture in Australia’s political system, where public positions are appointed based on relationships rather than merits.

On March 6, Independent MP Sophie Scamps, who represents the Mackellar electorate in Sydney, introduced the Transparent and Quality Public Appointments Bill 2023 in the House of Representatives to ensure the transparency and quality of public appointments.

She also called out on the prevailing corruption culture in the political system, describing it as a “national shame.”

“This bill would ensure that a candidate with the requisite expertise and knowledge gets the job, not the bloke the minister went to school with,” she told parliament.

“The people of Australia want and deserve a political system they can trust.

“This bill aims to do just that by ending for good the cronyism and ‘jobs for mates’ culture that has undermined our democracy for too long.”

Independent MP Sophie Scamps poses at a pre-polling centre in Sydney, Australia, on May 18, 2022. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Also supported the legislation was Victorian independent MP Helen Haines, who said the current appointment process of public servants resembled a “political loyalty award scheme.”

“It’s time to stop this cronyism, this patronage for pals,” she said.

“This bill brings a clear fix that would align us with international best practices.

“No more captain’s picks. Let’s restore fairness, due process, and trust with quality non-political public appointments.”

Details of the New Bill

At the core of the legislation is the establishment of independent selection panels (ISP) whose job is to carry out a competitive selection process to determine the suitable candidates for government positions in each federal government’s department.

With the introduction of the ISP, the legislation changes the way public servants are selected to ensure the process is free from bias.

Under the new selection model, when a government department wants to appoint new staff, the responsible minister must first determine the criteria for recruitment.

The responsible ISP then conducts a selection process based on the criteria and presents to the minister a shortlist of suitable candidates.

After that, the minister will use the shortlist to decide on which candidate to appoint for the new positions.

Moreover, a new parliamentary committee will be set up to oversee the ISP’s appointment process and provide reports to both houses of the parliament.

The legislation also introduces the new role of public appointment commissioners, who are responsible for providing guidelines for the selection process and other tasks concerning the appointment of public servants.

As Scamps unveiled the new bill, she called on the government to support the legislation to improve integrity and regain public trust in the appointment process.

The State of the ‘Jobs for Mates’ Culture in Australia’s Politics

A 2022 report (pdf) by the Grattan Institute indicated that public appointments with direct political connections were common practice within federal and state governments.

Political connections in the report’s context refer to the fact that a person is or has previously worked in politics as a politician, candidate, political advisor, or employee of a political party.

“Many government boards, tribunals, and independent agencies are populated by former politicians, political advisors, and party officials,” it stated.

Overall, around seven percent of 3,600 roles in the federal government were found to have direct political connections.

The figure was much higher among well-paid, powerful, and prestigious positions, with 21 percent of appointees having political connections.

In government business enterprises (GBE), including Australia Post, Australian Rail Track Corp, and Defence Housing Australia, one in ten appointees to GBE boards were not politically independent.

A general view of an Australia Post outlet in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 28, 2020. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Among the most prestigious federal boards, such as the Old Parliament House and the War Memorial, 20 percent of appointees had direct political, with most of them linked to the Coalition.

Even the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which conducts independent merits reviews of administrative decisions made under Commonwealth laws, was not free of political influences, as 22 percent of the members had a direct political affiliation.

The report also noted a drop in ethical standards used to measure the behaviour of public servants, leading to those committing misconduct being able to avoid resignation or firing.

Geoffrey Watson SC, from the Centre for Public Integrity, said politically-linked appointments indicated that the integrity and independence of public organisations were undermined, and the best person for the job missed out.

“If you see a mate being appointed to such a position, then immediately you start asking yourself the question: ‘Who are the politicians governing for–for us or for their own benefit?’” Watson said in comments obtained by AAP.

The new legislation comes following the Labor government’s announcement to abolish the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and replace it with a new body in December 2022.

Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the decision was due to the irreversible damage to the tribunal’s reputation caused by the Coalition’s political appointments in the past nine years.

Meanwhile, the Coalition alleged that the move was a “purge” and a means for Labor to settle “political scores.”