Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described publishing identity Ita Buttrose as an "extraordinary Australian" amid speculation she will be chosen as the new chair of the ABC.

Key points: Mr Morrison said he was disappointed there were no women on an independent shortlist of candidates for ABC chair

Mr Morrison said he was disappointed there were no women on an independent shortlist of candidates for ABC chair Ms Buttrose was founding editor of Cleo magazine and the first woman to edit a major Australian metropolitan newspaper

Ms Buttrose was founding editor of Cleo magazine and the first woman to edit a major Australian metropolitan newspaper The ABC has been without a permanent chair since Justin Milne resigned in September

The organisation has been without a permanent chair since the departure of Justin Milne, who left within days of former managing director Michelle Guthrie being sacked last year.

This morning the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Communications Minister Mitch Fifield was poised to take Ms Buttrose's nomination for the job to Cabinet, after no women made the cut in an independently prepared shortlist of potential candidates.

Mr Morrison said he was surprised and disappointed that no women were included on that list.

"It is true that she [Ms Buttrose] was not one of those who have been independently recommended, and I can confirm that the independent recommendations did not include a female candidate," he said.

"I've known Ita for a long time and I think she's an extraordinary Australian — Australian of the Year — and there's been few people more than Ita that I think have lifted the standards of journalism in this country, and I think that says a lot about her character and her abilities."

First woman to edit major Australian paper

Ms Buttrose was the founding editor of Cleo magazine and the first woman to edit a major Australian metropolitan newspaper.

She was recognised as Australian of the Year in 2013 for using her media profile to raise awareness of a number of public health issues.

Mr Morrison said a decision on the ABC's new chair had not yet been made and the matter would be considered by Cabinet "soon".

Kirstin Ferguson has been acting in the role since Mr Milne's resignation in September last year, after accusations he had interfered in the ABC's editorial independence.

His departure followed the sacking of Ms Guthrie, who accused Mr Milne of pressuring her to fire senior journalists Andrew Probyn and Emma Alberici.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten questioned why the Government would consider a candidate who was not on the recommended shortlist.

"Ita Buttrose's name has risen in circulation. She's a lovely person, [a] very respected Australian, but her name has risen to be chair of the ABC because the company the Government contracted couldn't even get the process right and now we've got more political interference," he said.

Recruitment firm Korn Ferry was brought in to launch the recruitment process, before the independent nominations panel whittled down the names.

Senate estimates heard last week that the company was paid $160,000 to run recruitment processes for the ABC and SBS, and was given an extra $15,000 for further candidate vetting for the ABC chair role.