Remember the ‘rivers of gold’ days? Bet Treasury wishes it had some of that lovely money now

By Verona Burgess

September 17, 2020
parliament-house
Bonuses are now only appropriate in limited circumstances of commonwealth entities. (Taras Vyshnya/Adobe)

It would be nice to think that the APS might be rewarded for doing a good job during the pandemic with no draconian cuts – but this seems like a pipe dream, because the public service is rarely rewarded for getting things right, writes Verona Burgess.

In the cold light of day, it will be the hard numbers that signal what the story of COVID-19 means for the Australian Public Service workforce in the rapidly approaching October 6 federal budget.

Subscribe for unlimited access

A Mandarin Premium subscription gives you access to all articles, webinars, discounted early-bird event invites and more.

INTRO OFFER - 40% OFF

ANNUAL $440$264

Save 40% on premium access for new accounts.
Just $22/month for your first year.
Renews at $440/year until cancelled.

MONTHLY $44

Unlimited access for just $10 per week. Cancel anytime.

Group subscriptions available for 5+ people.

About the author
mm

By Verona Burgess

Verona Burgess is a former government business editor and senior columnist for the Australian Financial Review. She has been writing about the Australian Public Service since 1990. A former Jefferson Fellow, she was also joint winner of the inaugural Richard Baker Senate prize and won a Walkley award with The Canberra Times for team coverage of the 2003 Canberra bushfires.

Tags: Australian recession average staffing level Data sharing inter-agency bulk temporary transfers Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook MYEFO update Premium reduced travel working from home

More Premium Content

Any feedback or news tips? Here’s where to contact the relevant team.

The Mandarin Premium

Try Mandarin Premium for $4 a week.

Access all the in-depth briefings. New subscribers only.

Get Premium Today