Dr Sophie Scamps, an Independent MP, has voiced concerns over a lack of transparency surrounding three public sector appointments. The roles in question include Greg Combet, head of the National Net Economy Agency; Chris Barrett, productivity commissioner; and Martijn Wilder, chair of the National Reconstruction Fund. Scamps emphasizes that while not undermining the abilities of those appointed, Australians should be assured that such appointments underwent rigorous and independent processes. Highlighting the potential implications for the nation’s future, Scamps advocates for her ‘Ending Jobs for Mates’ bill. This bill, collaboratively developed with the Centre for Public Integrity, Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank, proposes a clear, transparent, and independent framework for major Commonwealth appointments. Costing merely $3 million annually, this legislative measure aims to bolster trust in Australian democracy, ensuring appointments not only derive from expertise but also maintain transparency, free from undue political influences.
This is a summary of “Robodebt’s ‘potentially irreversible’ damage to trust in government” published in The Mandarin on August 13, 2023, written by Anna Macdonald. Read it in full here.