Former Australian Public Service Commissioner, Lynelle Briggs, wrote a report about appointment standards and processes in government two years ago, which was shelved.

Tuesday’s release by the Albanese government of the Briggs Review – aptly titled NO FAVOURITES (Briggs’ own use of capitals) – should have marked a turning point in the way the Commonwealth handles senior public appointments. For years, concerns about politicisation and patronage have grown, culminating in Briggs’ assessment of how deeply “jobs for mates” has seeped into our public institutions, undermining integrity and trust in government.

Lynelle Briggs completed her review – NO FAVOURITES – in August 2023. It was released yesterday. Credit: Sydney Morning Herald

The Centre for Public Integrity welcomed the commissioning of this review back in 2023, just as we welcome its long-delayed release over two years later. Briggs has confirmed what we and many others have been saying for years: cronyism in public appointments is real, entrenched, and corrosive to public trust.

She found that between 6 and 7 per cent of all board appointments could be described as “political”, and that up to 50 per cent of appointments are direct ministerial appointments that cause perceptions of politicisation.

The experience of the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal illustrates how vulnerable public bodies can be when there is unlimited ministerial........

© The Sydney Morning Herald