Australian Public Service

There has been considerable discussion in recent years about aspects of the Australian Public Service (APS), including its growth, governance, direction and claimed ‘politicisation’.

The size of the APS has grown strongly since 2000. The growth can be partially attributed to additional resources in the defence and security related areas, and other structural changes (such as Medicare Australia moving into coverage of the Public Service Act 1999 in late 2005). The following chart tracks total APS staff numbers employed under the Public Service Act 1999 (PSA) (non-ongoing and ongoing) 1992–2006:

Persons employed under the Public Service Act 1999

Source: Australian Public Service Commission

The new Rudd ministry involves major restructuring of some portfolios. A new ‘super’ portfolio has been created for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. In relation to the environment and industry, functions have been split between several portfolios. Portfolio changes may lead to issues at the departmental level relating to policy coordination and the coordination of administrative functions. As at the time of writing, the precise spread of departmental responsibilities had not been specified.

Over recent years concerns have been raised about politicisation and its impact on performance. Discussion has focused on a range of issues around the appointment and employment arrangements relating to the senior levels of the APS (particularly agency heads) and the transparency of such arrangements. In particular, the link between contractual employment arrangements, performance pay and the quality of advice given by the APS has been raised. Debate was reignited with the appearance of the head of the Workplace Authority, Barbara Bennett, in several government advertisements in 2007.

Governance issues and their impact on performance of the APS have also been raised; for example, The Australian National Audit Office identified problems in achieving a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to the management of Australian Government intellectual property. Several high profile maladministration issues within agencies have also come under particular scrutiny. For example, the State of the Service Report notes that the Palmer and Comrie reviews ‘raised issues of authority, accountability, leadership and control, as well as issues of underpinning culture, and the way an organisation deals with its stakeholders’.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) has endorsed the importance of the APS principles of impartiality, apoliticism, professionalism, responsiveness and accountability in contributing to a productive relationship with the elected government. It has stated that it will strengthen the powers of the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) and enhance the role of the Public Service Commissioner to provide public ethics advice on any issues relating to compliance with the APS code and values. This enhanced role will also allow greater coordination of whole-of-service issues.

Enhancing public accountability has become one of the primary focuses of the ALP’s public administration proposals. Enhancement will partly be achieved through more transparent appointment processes for agency heads and secretaries as well as appointments to government boards and statutory positions. The Rudd Government will move to provide further independence by abolishing performance pay and restoring the jurisdiction of the Remuneration Tribunal to fix pay and conditions of agency heads and secretaries. The Auditor-General and Commonwealth Ombudsman will be given stronger roles in lifting the standards of government integrity.

In 2005, the APSC commenced a review of the effectiveness of the Public Service Act. Areas identified for change included employment issues, management of terminations, and refinement of the APS values and code of conduct. However, the Howard Government deferred the review to 2008. The Rudd Government may find that restoring this review is a way of progressing proposals for APS reform.

Documentation
Andrew Podger, ‘What Really Happens: Department Secretary Appointments, Contracts and Performance Pay in the Australian Public Service’, Australian Journal of Public Administration, June 2007, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 131–47.
Australian Labor Party, National Platform and Constitution 2007.
Australian Public Service Commission, State of the Service Report 2005–06, APSC, Canberra, 2006.
Senator Penny Wong, ‘Labor’s approach to the Australian Public Service’, speech to the Institute of Public Administration Australia, 20 September 2007.
Peter Shergold, ‘What Really Happens in the Australian Public Service: An Alternative View’, Australian Journal of Public Administration, September 2007, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 367–70.

1: Updated 16 January 2008