Sophie Scamps, Mackellar MP, set to tackle ‘jobs for the boys’ culture in politics

Sophie Scamps, the new teal MP from the northern beaches, is already drawing up legislation to stamp out the ‘jobs for the boys’ political appointments in Canberra

She hasn’t sat in parliament yet, but a new independent MP from the northern beaches has already started drawing up a proposed new law to stamp out “jobs for the boys” political appointments in Canberra.

Sophie Scamps, who won the former blue ribbon Liberal seat of Mackellar at the May election, wants decisions on jobs with government agencies, boards and tribunals to be more transparent.

Dr Scamps, a GP from Avalon Beach and a so-called ‘teal’ independent, is making her Private Members Bill one of her priorities once parliament resumes on Tuesday.

Sophie Scamps, who celebrateds her win in the seat of Mackellar at the Dee Why RSL on March 21, wants to see more transparency in senior government appoinments. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Her bill comes as a new report into political appointments, by the Grattan Institute think tank, found that more than a fifth of federally-appointed board members were political appointees.

It also comes after controversy arose around the NSW Government over its offer of a job as a trade commissioner to New York to former deputy premier John Barilaro sparked a parliamentary inquiry.

The Grattan Institute found that many positions on government agencies were filled by people who had worked for the party that was in government.

Dr Scamps said this showed “there is a rampant ‘jobs for mates’ culture that exists in Canberra and beyond”.

“I will be introducing a Private Members Bill to establish an independent and merit-based process to select candidates for government boards, committees and departmental appointments,” she said in a statement.

She told Sky News that picking senior government appointees on merit was a “very big priority for the people of Mackellar and, I think, Australians across the country.

“People have a gutful of this culture of jobs for mates.

Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps will also be reviewing the Labor Governent’s draft climate change bills. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

“It really undermines our trust in both our democracy and public institutions.”

Dr Scamps proposed “Public Appointments Framework” would make sure the government jobs were publicly advertised and that independent panels, free from government interference, would vet and shortlist the best candidates with the Minister selecting the best candidate from the shortlist.

She said her advisers were drafting the legislation with a plan to introduce it to parliament later this year.

Dr Scamps said she would also be reviewing the new Labor government’s draft climate change bill to slash carbon emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.