Coalition senators do not support the recommendations of the majority committee report.
It is clear the intention behind this inquiry has been to engage in political grandstanding against the current Government and its policies which will improve service delivery and processes for all Australians.
The Government has already taken action to strengthen the Income Compliance program.
Australian taxpayers foot the bill for around $111 billion in social security payments each year and rightly expect that those engaged in the system are able to receive the amount of support for which they are eligible – nothing more, nothing less.
The Government has a responsibility to collect any overpayments. Compliance activity will continue for past and future welfare payment recipients where there is a reason to believe they have been overpaid.
This is central to the community having trust in the administration of this safety net and the Government’s obligation to meet the expectation that overpayments will be returned to taxpayers.
Coalition senators do not accept the recommendation that the Commonwealth public service Average Staffing Level (ASL) cap be lifted.
Where a portfolio seeks additional resources, the Government considers those proposals on their unique merits to assess whether ASL is the most appropriate way to tap human talent. In making decisions on staffing proposals, the Government can take into account factors such as non-tax revenue opportunities, for instance from commercial ventures.
Arguments to allow unconstrained public sector staffing are often based on an incorrect misconception there is a single Commonwealth control on staffing, namely agency staffing caps. Critics of staffing controls fail to recognise that ASL management also involve ASL offset requirements for bringing forward New Policy Proposals. The ASL offset rule has huge value as it forces agencies to identify opportunities to reprioritise staff time before seeking costly new resources. This rule also has the benefit of forcing agencies to regularly hone their strategic focus.
The so called ‘caps’ are neither arbitrary, nor fixed. They adjust each year based on decisions about what offsets are available and reasonable to use. They adjust based on new work and new staffing given to agencies, when approved by Cabinet. Agency staff levels are therefore the product of individual decisions by the Government over time on successive policy proposals.
This approach to setting ASL ensures that each agency has as much staff as they need for their responsibilities, but no more than necessary.
The Government has always promoted a flexible approach to resourcing that strikes the right balance between a talented, core workforce of permanent public servants and selective use of external expertise. The Government has consistently said that training, recruitment and procurement will all be used, where appropriate, to enhance skill sets of the permanent public service and ways of working.
In specific circumstances, it is legitimate that the Government requires access to specialist skills and temporary resources for particular projects, which requires it to look outside the ranks of the public service.
A contractor or consultant can bring specialist skills that could not be expected to be held in-house, for instance where sophisticated IT projects require someone who has skills developing innovative products for a range of clients. Banks and other businesses have often been ahead of the Government in IT, not because of their internal IT capabilities, but because of their willingness to test the market.
The Government also recognises the value of partnerships with the private sector. When public servants and external specialists work together on projects, there is a two-way transfer of skills and experience, and a greater opportunity for diversity of views.
Coalition senators do not accept the contention that the Request for Tender (RFT) Delivering Visa Services for Australia – Global Digital Platform is a form of visa decision making privatisation.
The Department of Home Affairs is conducting a tender process for a new workflow tool that will support digital visa application and decision making.
This modernisation process is necessary to reduce processing times and to ensure visa decision making continues to support key export industries like tourism and education, and helps keep us all safe.
The Australian Government will always remain responsible and accountable, as it is today, for all visa decision making. It will determine visa rules and how decisions are made.
The Government will remain responsible for national security and community protection by maintaining control of visa decision making.
The provider of the workflow tool will have no role whatsoever in visa decision making.
This reform will allow the Department’s skilled and experienced officers to re-focus their effort on higher value, more complex decision making. This will enhance border integrity.
This process is not being driven by a desire to reduce departmental staffing or cut costs. Claims that this process will lead to wholesale job losses and office closures are simply false and those making those claims know that.
In conclusion, Coalition senators reject the findings of the majority report, and support Government initiatives such as the Income Compliance Program and the Global Digital Platform.
Senator Amanda Stoker
Deputy Chair