Shadow Attorney-General, Peter Cain, has called on the ACT Labor-Greens government to support his motion referring a review of the Government Business Enterprise board appointments with political affiliations to the ACT Auditor-General.

Mr Cain’s calls for the review follow the release of a Grattan Institute report in July 2022 which revealed the ACT has the equal-highest most politically affiliated Government Business Enterprise board members from the same side of politics as the government that appointed them.

“Public trust in politics and public offices is of the utmost importance, especially to Canberrans who are so well-versed in public accountability,” Mr Cain said.

“The figures in this report are truly damning and reflect an absence of integrity and transparency from this ACT Labor-Greens government.

“To be equal-highest in the number of politically affiliated Government Business Enterprise board members with political affiliations as Queensland, a jurisdiction with well-known recent issues of integrity, is disgraceful.

“A referral to the ACT Auditor-General to review current appointments and recommend appropriate protocols for future appointments which ensure good governance principles are maintained is clearly long overdue.

“After 22 years of Labor-Greens government in the ACT, the cracks are starting to show in their commitment to public accountability and good governance for Canberrans.

“Jobs for mates appointment practices degrade public trust in our democratic system and this review will be vital to promoting decision-making in the public interest before further damage is done,” Mr Cain concluded.