Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. In February 2023, the Minister for the Public Service announced an inquiry into public sector board appointments to end the jobs-for-mates culture of the previous coalition government. The minister stated: 'In line with the government’s commitment to transparency, a report will be published after the review is finalised in mid-2023.' The government has had over two years to consider its findings and has repeatedly refused to make the report public. When will the government release the Briggs report and legislate a transparent, merit based appointment process across the public sector?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question on this important matter. As the member referred to, we commissioned Lynelle Briggs to undertake a report to cabinet which would look at what the appropriate standards were in terms of appointing people to public sector boards. Ms Briggs has undertaken that work. The matter is in front of the cabinet and it is there to be considered. The cabinet is working through the process of considering the report and we will respond to it. When we respond to it, we will release the report, as the Minister for the Public Service has repeatedly said. So we will release this report, but we will do so after the cabinet has appropriately considered it, given that this is a report to cabinet.

That is the normal and appropriate way in which we go about this.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We listen to the interjections from the other side. The hypocrisy in those interjections is breathtaking, given that, when it comes to the question of appointing people to government positions, they industrialised it in terms of who they were appointing from their ranks. That said, the Briggs report is very important piece of work.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Hume will cease interjecting.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are considering it at the cabinet level, and when we have responded to it, we will make it public.

But, on the question of transparency, which the member raises, I would also point out that it was the former Rudd Labor government which introduced the ministerial code of conduct. It was the former Rudd Labor government which introduced the Lobbying Code of Conduct, as well as the lobbying register, which provided transparency in relation to that. It is the Albanese Labor government which has established the National Anti-Corruption Commission, has increased funding for the ANAO and has strengthened whistleblower protection. So, when you are looking at which party is on the side of government transparency and government accountability, it is the party which is currently running the government.