Bill
Diplomatic Appointments (Selection Process) Bill 2026
before parliament, as at 2026-09-07.
- Sponsor
- Fatima Payman
- Portfolio
- Not recorded
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2026-09-07
- second reading — 2026-09-07
Divisions
No divisions recorded. Most questions are decided on the voices; this does not establish that a bill was unopposed.
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2026-09-08.
This bill would change how candidates are selected for specified diplomatic postings.
Former federal, state and territory parliamentarians would be barred from those postings for ten years after leaving parliament.
It would introduce independent selection committees and additional approval requirements for candidates with significant political affiliations.
- Applies a ten-year restriction to former parliamentarians seeking the covered diplomatic roles.
- Establishes expert selection committees to recommend suitable candidates for those postings.
- Requires an independent committee recommendation under the ordinary appointment process.
- Requires endorsement by both houses to use the deadlock fallback for a candidate with a significant political affiliation.
Candidates for the specified diplomatic posts, selection committee members and the government making appointments are affected.
Sources
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