Australian public service

Trust is hard when you are so many things to so many people, especially when you are both the social worker and the cop. So, trust arguably needs to be about ensuring you are seen as trustworthy, fair, accountable and values-driven. Trust is something you need to earn every day, not something you ask for.

The latest public sector appointments from across the country.

Former secretary Allan Hawke has called for the end of performance pay in the Australian Public Service. He argues that the system clashes with public service culture, ignores how the public service actually works, destroys morale and teamwork, and gives senior leaders an excuse to avoid real leadership.

The Australian Public Service Commissioner has called on the APS to be “less hierarchical” and more collaborative. Commissioner Peter Woolcott delivered a speech to the APS Wide National Conference in Sydney last week.

The independent APS Review is finished and its final report is in the hands of Phil Gaetjens, secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The chair of the independent panel, David Thodey, gave the final report to Gaetjens on Friday. A short statement from the APS Review gives a vague description of […]

SES appointments Jane Wardlaw has been promoted to General Manager, NGER & Safeguard Branch Executive, in the Clean Energy Regulator agency, department of Environment and Energy.  Anna Rudziejewski has been promoted to Defence General Counsel in the Department of Defence. She was formerly Director of International Government Agreements. Home Affairs has two new assistant secretaries. […]

The biggest review of the Australian Public Service (APS) in 40 years is likely to herald significant changes, particularly for APS employees. As the APS is committed to progressing gender equality, we wondered: what might the review mean for women employees?

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Ben Gauntlett has expressed concern over the lack of people with disability employed in the Australian Public Service. Australia is currently ranked 21st out of 29 OECD countries for employment rates for people with disability, Gauntlett noted in a speech on behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission at the United Nations in Geneva on Monday.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been busy; agricultural sectors spring into action. The latest in public sector career movements.

The Prime Minister has said he expects his department to remove an “over the top” toilet sign that encourages people to choose the bathroom which “best fits” their gender identity.

Federal Labor members and the public sector union both agreed with parts of the Prime Minister’s speech to his public service troops but argued the Coalition’s actions since 2013 speak louder than Scott Morrison’s words.

The world of work is changing. Technology, flexibility and the way we think about careers are redefining the workplace. The public service is not immune from these changes, which create an imperative for transforming how the public service operates.