Independent MP Sophie Scamps has criticised the lack of transparency in the appointment of Kathryn Campbell as an AUKUS advisor within Defence.
“A role was created that Kathryn Campbell was appointed to,” Scamps said, speaking during a webinar about her “jobs for mates” bill hosted by The Australia Institute.
“There wasn’t any transparency around that whole re-appointment process.”
Before appearing on the webinar, Scamps put out a statement calling for a “full investigation” into Campbell’s appointment, calling it an “egregious” example of the jobs for mates culture.
Campbell appeared before the robodebt royal commission earlier this year, questioned about her role in the scheme as secretary of the Department of Human Services. The deadline for the royal commission’s final report was recently pushed back.
After her time at Human Services, Campbell was secretary of the Department of Social Services. She was then appointed DFAT secretary until Jan Adams took over the position during the Albanese government’s post-election bureaucratic shake-up.
An FOI request from Rex Patrick showed the AUKUS role, which comes with a $900,000 a year salary, was created the day prime minister Anthony Albanese announced Campbell’s departure, with her being placed in the role eight days later.
Scamp’s bill would establish a public appointments commissioner, with an independent selection panel based in every department. Each secretary would sit on their department’s panel with the commissioner with three or four more members, with the panel then producing a three-person shortlist.
The independent MP added ministers would still be able to use their ministerial discretion in selecting from the shortlist.
“There is an element of ministerial discretion but really, it’s at arm’s length from the minister,” Scamps said.
“It’s a way of ensuring that we are actually getting people with the correct expertise and skill for the role. And we need to know that because these are incredibly important roles.”
Australia Institute’s director of the democracy and accountability program Bill Browne, who was on the webinar, commented Campbell’s AUKUS appointment came to light through FOI requests.
Mentioning the backlog of FOI requests, Browne said transparency issues “operate in tandem”.
“We need cultural changes as well — a public service that realises that it’s responsible to Parliament and the public, not just to the minister of the day, and responds to an FOI request accordingly,” Browne said.
The topics ranged on a variety of integrity issues within government, with not only Campbell’s AUKUS appointment and FOI delays mentioned but the PwC confidential tax leak scandal.
Scamps mentioned she felt the role of an independent in a parliament where the crossbench was not holding the balance of power was to call out difficult issues, highlighting independent MP Helen Haines’ role in the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
“That is the power of an independent — that freedom and that ability to speak out on issues that either of the big parties are not happy to touch on,” Scamps said.
Source: themandarin
