Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

But he shares your concern for ensuring the highest possible standard of people on this board. We do operate in this country on the basis of ministerial accountability for appointments to boards of this kind. We have introduced the legal obligation for ministers to have regard to certain factors when making these appointments. As I say, this will be one of the most high profile boards imaginable. No government is going to wear the political opprobrium of making a silly or unqualified appointment.

I notice also that the sort of course Senator Murray is proposing is no cure-all for the disease which I think he is considering. I notice that his amendment refers to ensuring that there is some sort of independent scrutiny of appointments. My ever watchful office has drawn to my attention that the Scottish parliament actually has such an arrangement. I have here an article from the Scotsman, ‘Watchdog for quangos filled with Labour supporters’. In Scotland, they do have this mechanism for independent scrutiny.