Former Northern Territory MP Natasha Griggs is the latest to land a lucrative posting, with the Turnbull government on Monday appointing her administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands - a position that pays $293,000 a year.

That's nearly $100,000 more than she earned as a backbench MP, not including loadings and allowances. The government says she is well-qualified for the three-year role because of her work on Parliament's external territories committee.

Her appointment brings to 11 the number of former Liberal MPs given government jobs in a little over a year, including nine of the 15 who lost their seats last year.

Former MPs Matt Williams, Brett Whiteley, Karen McNamara and Peter Hendy have all taken up advisor roles with sitting MPs. Mr Hendy has also been appointed to the Commonwealth Grants Committee and the Council for Australian-Arab Relations.

Andrew Nikolic and Russel Matheson were both given $200,000-a-year jobs with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Eric Hutchison was appointed to the $293,000 role as administrator to Norfolk Island, while former minister Jamie Briggs was made a non-executive director of Moorebank Intermodal, a government enterprise focused on freight.

The government also handed high-paid diplomatic jobs to two Liberals who retired ahead of the election: Philip Ruddock was made Special Envoy for Human Rights and Sharman Stone was made Ambassador for Women and Girls.

Mr Ruddock earns an estimated $1000 a day in the envoy role, while also drawing on a generous parliamentary pension.

The government has also appointed some Labor figures to government jobs, including former speaker Anna Burke to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and former minister Gary Gray to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.

Labor has also been accused of gifting well-paid jobs to former MPs over the years.

After leaving Parliament in 2010, former Labor minister Duncan Kerr was made president of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, earning $400,000 a year.

Roger Price was appointed to the plum diplomatic role of Consul-General to Chicago, Bob McMullan was made Special Envoy to Africa and Arch Bevis was handed a number of board roles.

Labor has also engaged in 'warehousing' - the practice of employing former MPs as advisors ahead of another run for Parliament. Mike Kelly worked for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in between stints serving as Eden-Monaro's representative, while Wayne Swan popped up as an advisor to Kim Beazley after losing Lilley in 1996. He took back the seat two years later.

Ms Griggs quit the Country Liberal Party earlier this year, alleging bullying from a senior party figure. Her move fuelled speculation she was going to seek a political comeback by joining One Nation or Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives.

MS Griggs will replace Barry Haase, a fellow Liberal appointed by the Abbott government. Mr Haase replaced former Labor ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope, who was appointed by the Gillard government.

A further three retired MPs have sparked controversy by taking up private sector jobs linked to their former ministerial roles: Andrew Robb, Bruce Billson and Ian Macfarlane.

Mr Robb took up a consulting job with a Chinese billionaire after helping design the Australia-China free trade agreement; Mr Billson took up a job with the Franchise Council of Australia after serving as small business minister; and Mr MacFarlane became chief executive officer of the Queensland Resources Council after serving as resources minister.