There were seven key moments that emerged from the Australian Public Service Commission’s (APSC) and the APS Reform office’s senate estimates hearing on Tuesday.
Two dozen code-of-conduct inquiries underway
APS commissioner Gordon de Brouwer began by mentioning integrity in his opening statement, adding it was not appropriate to provide commentary on individual inquiries.
De Brouwer said there were currently “two dozen” code-of-conduct inquiries underway, including into the 16 from the robodebt royal commission and the conduct of Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo.
“While there is significant public interest in some of the inquiries underway, it’s important the commentary around them does not undermine other inquiries,” de Brouwer said.
“The inquiries underway reflect the expectation of the Australian people, the government, and indeed the public service itself.”
De Brouwer added the number of inquiries was higher than in previous years.
Transparency to drive down consultancy use
Greens senator Barbara Pocock questioned de Brouwer about consequences for secretaries who fail to meet targets to reduce consultancy use, which is part of the newly released APS Commission Framework.
The APS commissioner said accountability and transparency were the “first line of defence”.
“Transparency about what the plans are, and delivery against those plans is really important,” de Brouwer said.
“That’s a key driver, that’ll drive behaviour and change over time.”
The reduction targets are required to be in agencies’ 2024-25 corporate plans, and for annual reports to report on progress.
Given the diversity of work within the APS, senate estimates was told it would be difficult to establish a minimum target.
Secretaries pay off
De Brouwer gave his professional opinion about secretaries who have been terminated but are still being paid, noting that secretaries did not have as many employment rights as others in the public service.
“If you have no tenure, then the ability to have a full sum payout is one moderating factor on the arbitrary loss of employment by secretaries,” he said.
The APS commissioner said that the Remuneration Tribunal would be a “good place” for the conversation.
Public service minister Katy Gallagher said she agreed with de Brouwer, adding: “It’s always worth having these matters under review”.
Bargaining
Unsurprisingly, wage and conditions bargaining was brought up a couple of times during estimates.
Chief negotiator Peter Riordan said a trial of the four-day working week was dismissed during bargaining as the APS was not ready for it.
Riordan said the 100:80:100 model – 100% pay, 80% time and 100% productivity – does not work in every area of the public service.
“If you look at the Border Force and airports, for example, how they could produce 100% productivity, 80% attendance, [it] didn’t work,” Riordan said.
“So the position we arrived at,” he continued, “was a further wait-and-see what evolves for the Australian economy over the next three years.”
Riordan did say the matter could be revisited in the next round of bargaining.
Gallagher said she did not want to have industrial action. “I want agreement and I think the offer is fair,” Gallagher said.
“I disagree with the industrial action, and the approach that’s been taken, but I think the unions understand that.”
Australian Government Consulting’s first gigs
Officials hope Australian Government Consulting, the in-house consulting service, will have its chief consulting officer by the time the next senate estimates rolls around.
The service is undertaking its first two projects. One is for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on scoping work on the engagement of states and territories with India; the other is to establish the Net Zero Economy Agency.
With the CCO yet to be appointed, PM&C’s deputy secretary of social policy Liz Hefren-Webb and APS deputy reform secretary Dr Rachel Bacon selected the first two projects.
Stopping the revolving door
The APSC said it is looking at what is to be done about the “revolving door” of people going from the public service into consultancies.
“That is an issue that’s under examination and we will do it as a system rather than idiosyncratically across departments,” de Brouwer said.
“We would look for the commission to have a policy around that. And then it’s up to departments to implement and enforce, and we’d have to have assurance that they were doing so.”
Complicating the picture was ensuring companies do not try to get around the rules of secondment.
“We don’t want to be exploited at the same time. If companies use this in a strategic way, then we don’t want to be used in that way,” de Brouwer said.
The APS commissioner added there were benefits to secondments, like gaining new insights.
No specific support for those impacted by Israel-Hamas
Following questions from Liberal senator Jane Hume, de Brouwer said there had not been additional increases in employee requests for support around the Israel-Hamas conflict based on initial informal feedback.
Acting deputy commissioner Jo Talbot took on notice whether specific support had been provided to particular agencies.
“Sometimes what we’re relying on here is managers to know the people that they are actually managing and to personally make a connection and provide support,” Talbot said.
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