APS cuts rejected
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Katy Gallagher says cutting APS jobs is easy politics, but disastrous for public service delivery.
The Australian Public Service (APS) must remain independent to ensure good governance and avoid policy disasters like the Robodebt scheme, according to Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.
In her recent APS reform update, she argued that safeguarding the APS is essential for maintaining its role as a pillar of democracy and service delivery in Australia.
Gallagher highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen the APS after years of underfunding and over-reliance on outsourcing.
She pointed to the service’s critical functions, from issuing Medicare cards to defending the nation’s borders.
“The APS touches the lives of every Australian,” Gallagher said.
The minister’s speech highlighted the government’s push to rebuild the APS, contrasting it with Opposition plans to cut 36,000 public service jobs, about 20 per cent of its workforce.
Gallagher warned these cuts would lengthen wait times, weaken biosecurity, and increase reliance on costly external contractors.
“A promise to cut 20 per cent of the current public service will compromise the work the APS does and the services it delivers,” she said.
Since coming to office, the Albanese Government has abolished APS staffing caps, reduced outsourcing, and delivered centralised wage bargaining for the first time since 1995.
These changes, Gallagher argued, have already improved services: veterans’ claims are now processed in two weeks, and Paid Parental Leave applications in just three days.
The APS has also blocked half a million cybercrime attempts and expedited environmental approvals.
Reforms have reduced spending on consultants by nearly $1 billion and ensured public servants can handle critical tasks previously outsourced, such as drafting legislation.
Workforce diversity and stability have improved, with gender parity at most levels and a significant increase in First Nations leadership roles.
Gallagher cited the Robodebt Royal Commission as a warning against compromising APS independence.
The scheme, which unlawfully pursued Australians for debts, resulted in a $1.8 billion cost to taxpayers and eroded public trust.
Recent legislative changes, she said, aim to embed integrity and independence within the APS.
Gallagher described the APS as critical to addressing Australia’s growing challenges, including climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence.
“A strong, independent and capable APS is worth fighting for,” she concluded, pledging to continue reforms that ensure the service can meet the demands of a changing nation.
