Mates over merit lives on: Scamps tables Bill to End #Jobs4Mates 

When I first ran for Mackellar in 2022 one of the issues that came up time and again at kitchen tables conversations, bus stops, community events and the many terrific men’s coffee ‘tables of knowledge’ scattered across our Northern Beaches, was that people were sick of the “jobs for mates” culture in Canberra. 

They were tired of watching well-paid, powerful public roles quietly handed to well-connected ‘mates’ or as rewards for political loyalty; tired of decisions being made behind closed doors; and tired of being told to just ‘trust the process’ when there was no transparency. 

People across the Northern Beaches wanted someone who would take their demand for integrity straight to Canberra and keep pushing until something changed. 

Well, I’ve stayed true to my word. In early March, I re-introduced my Ending Jobs for Mates Bill (the Transparent and Quality Public Appointments Bill 2026). 

It’s now been three years since I first put this legislation before Parliament. In that time, an independent review led by respected former public service commissioner Lynelle Briggs has confirmed what many Australians already suspected; that the current appointments process to major public roles is ‘not fit for purpose’ and often looks like ‘patronage and nepotism that should have no place in modern Australian society.’ 

Despite the damning findings of the review, or perhaps because of them, it was kept under wraps, hidden from the public for over two years and only quietly released just before Christmas after much pressure from myself and other Independents. 

The report determined that without clear, enforceable and legislated rules, patronage and favouritism can and do creep into major public appointments. But instead of legislating any change, the Government responded with a half-page, 7- dot point set of vague “principles” that will continue to leave final decisions firmly in ministers’ hands. 

That’s not reform. It’s window dressing. 

My Bill would change that. It would establish an independent, transparent process for major Commonwealth appointments. It would also introduce a new mandatory cooling-off period; six months for former politicians and senior staff, and 18 months for former Ministers before they can accept top public roles – to avoid conflicts of interest. 

My Ending Jobs for Mates Bill is about restoring trust in our democracy. When governments choose who suits them best, instead of who is best for the job, it weakens our institutions and erodes trust. 

The people of Mackellar expect integrity. They expect fairness. And they deserve a system where the best person gets the job, not the best-connected, that’s why I have taken this issue back to Canberra on our behalf, and I’ll keep fighting for a merit-based transparent and independent selection process for major public appointments.