The Albanese government has dodged questions over when it will release a report into the independence of public sector appointments, a year after a former senior bureaucrat turned in her findings.
The government commissioned the review in February 2023, as parts of its ongoing integrity agenda, with former Public Service Commissioner Lynelle Briggs picked to assess whether processes to appoint public sector board members were merit based.
Ms Briggs handed in her findings in August 2023, according to documents released under freedom of information, but the government still has not published the review, or a response to it.
"The report proposes standards and transparent processes to identify and recruit board members, recommendations for the role of ministers, APS staff and board chairs as part of this selection process, and how the diversity of board membership might be improved," Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister at the time.
Independent MP Sophie Scamps asked when the government would release the report, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it was "with the government for consideration".
"We are committed to a strong foundation of integrity right across the public service, we do recognise that we need to get the right diversity of skills and experience for public sector boards to provide the right kind of oversight and direction to government entities," Dr Chalmers said, on behalf of Senator Gallagher.
Dr Scamps also took aim at the recent appointment of former Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to the board of Australia Post, which Dr Chalmers defended as "a very good appointment".
In separate comments, she called on the government to release the review immediately.
"Eighteen months later - [the report] still nowhere to be seen. My simple question is - why?" she said.
"This report should be released now for the public to see."
The independent MP introduced her own private member's bill in March 2023, proposing more scrutiny of public sector appointments, including the introduction of a Public Appointments Commissioner and scrutiny conducted by a joint parliamentary committee. The bill did not receive the support it needed to proceed.
"Cronyism and party-political appointments to important public positions erode trust and integrity in our democracy," she said.
"It's time to act now to enact an independent and transparent merit-based process as outlined in my bill."
