For years, governments of both persuasion have made appointments to senior public positions with absolute disregard for integrity, transparency and accountability. This has been a significant blow to democratic principles.

It has resulted in a serious lack of trust in government institutions. The low watermark was perhaps the Morrison government’s appointment of a horde of political figures and staffers to the administrative appeals tribunal in the concluding days of the 46th parliament.

Despite its high-flown rhetoric, the Albanese government has been tortoise-like in responding to pressure to implement serious reform to the appointments process. True, it appointed Lynelle Briggs to undertake a comprehensive report back in 2023 but since its completion the government had sat on the report for more than two years and refused to let the media or the public see it.

After significant pressure from civil society, independents and the cross bench, the government has now released the report. The true reasons for the vacillation and delay are now quite evident in the damning contents of the report. By contrast, the reasons given by the government to justify the delay seem quite spurious.

© The Guardian