EXCLUSIVE: I've been in this game for decades - and there's a BIG problem with today's politicians, writes MARK LATHAM. Here's why it's time to transform Australia with some VERY bold appointments - starting with NSW

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As Dominic Perrottet puts together a new state cabinet before the end of the year, he should take advantage of an intriguing opportunity in the NSW Constitution Act.

While it is a convention to appoint ministers who are Members of Parliament, this is not actually a constitutional requirement.

Ministers can come from outside parliament, allowing the executive government to draw on expertise and experience from the broader community.

There are several examples of NSW ministers (such as Barrie Unsworth in 1986 and Carmel Tebbutt in 2005) moving from the upper to the lower house who stayed in cabinet even though they were not MPs at the time. 

Retired netballer Liz Ellis (pictured) would make a fine Minister for Sport in NSW, according to One Nation's Mark Latham

These temporary arrangements prove that, constitutionally, it can be done.

Imagine the increase in cabinet quality if Perrottet offered the Treasury to Peter Costello, Transport to Sydney's infrastructure guru, Tony Shepherd, and Education to Australia's pre-eminent schools expert, John Hattie.

To help solve the Premier's 'woman problem' – his stated goal of more talented females in cabinet – Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page could be the Minister for Industry and Trade, prominent barrister Margaret Cunneen could be made Attorney General and star netballer player Liz Ellis could be appointed to the Sport portfolio.

People of this calibre are needed to overcome the backlog of problems that festered in NSW during the Covid lockdown period.

The idea for non-MP Ministers was first advocated by Bob Hawke in his 1979 Boyer Lectures. Hawke lamented the limited talent pool upon which Cabinets have been traditionally based.

He wanted a government of experts, rather than factional log-rollers. He proposed for these special Ministers to attend parliamentary question time and committee hearings, guaranteeing public accountability.

Four decades later, Hawke's idea has never been more necessary, especially at a state level.

Privately, both the Liberal and Labor Parties in Macquarie Street acknowledge that they only bat down to four or five, with a long tail of ministers and shadow ministers who shouldn't be in the job. The talent pool is as deep as a skinflint's pocket.

Barrister Margaret Cunneen (pictured) could be in the NSW Cabinet if Dominic Perrottet was bold enough, according to Mark Latham

Since coming back into elected office in March 2019, I've seen a transformation in the way in which parliamentary politics works, compared to my earlier time in Canberra's House of Representatives (between 1994 and 2005).

MPs have become more risk-averse, more timid in their public statements and agenda. This comes from the rise of social media, with politicians worried about the notoriety of trending on Twitter. 

The instantaneous, often hysterical nature of social media has been a dead-hand on the politics of conviction and reform.

Timid MPs are more readily moulded into and exploited by the factional system, becoming cannon fodder for powerbrokers who themselves are more interested in electoral tactics than public policy substance.

The new Premier has a two-track task: to have a successful reopening of NSW after Covid (which appears to be happening) while also overcoming the many structural problems left behind from the Berejiklian era.

Mark Latham (pictured) of the One Nation party has called for outsiders to be allowed to become ministers in the NSW Cabinet

This is evident in our malfunctioning transport system, struggling school results, excessive government pork barreling and the budgetary challenges of rising debt and deficit.

Inside the parliamentary Liberal and National Parties the talent is simply not available to master these issues in the relatively short run-up to the March 2023 election.

Drawing Ministers from outside parliament is Perrottet's best chance of problem solving in public administration.

Politics today has lost most of its policy specialists: MPs who target a certain portfolio and develop a deep research-base and reputation for expertise in that field.

Looking around Macquarie Street, where have the experts gone? The ground is wide open for senior public servants to set the policy directions of government and in most ministries this is what happens.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet (pictured) has been challenged to bring outside talent - experts in their field - into the NSW Cabinet

In terms of democratic accountability, it's better to have an external Cabinet Minister in charge than the current reality of faceless bureaucrats running the State.

When Bob Carr retired as Premier 16 years ago, he said we should reduce the number of State MPs and make them part-time. From what I have seen, the volume of constituent work in NSW politics warrants maintaining the status quo on the backbench.

The bigger issue is the quality of the front bench. Hawke was right.

Ultimately, it's commonsense. Why appoint 24 Cabinet Ministers from just 62 Coalition MPs when scores of other people, expert in their field, could do a better job?

Perrottet has always fashioned himself as a policy reformer. That's good PR, but in practice, it means nothing unless he has the right people around him.

He needs to strike boldly, removing the seat-warmers from Cabinet and bringing in the best and brightest NSW has to offer.