The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has guardedly welcomed the independent review into the Australian Public Service (APS).
National Secretary of the Union, Nadine Flood said it would be an opportunity to tackle the major challenges facing the Public Service and the community, and allow people a say in what they want their public institutions to do.
Ms Flood said a clear-eyed and objective look at the APS was clearly needed and the review should be a catalyst to repair continuing damage.
She said it should not be a licence to double-down on flawed policies.
“What’s needed is a genuine attempt from the Government and the senior leadership of the Public Service to work with the community, people working in the APS and both sides of politics to wrestle with big challenges, making sure we have the policy capability to deal with the changing world,” Ms Flood said.
“Citizens want the Government to solve the problems they’re facing such as overloaded services, wage suppression, job insecurity and big business having more power than working people.”
She said the review should be about making sure Government was skilled and resourced to set the right rules so the public sector could play its role as a regulator, keeping things fair and protecting the community from predatory behaviour in the market.
She said the review should examine how to make sure the people, the resources and the technology were available to do this.
“We need our Governments to have the strength and the vision to set a path for a Public Service that can support our democracy and communities,” Ms Flood said.
“We should not be allowing Public Servants with decades of experience to be walking out the door as expensive consultants walk in.”
Ms Flood expressed concern at the make-up of the review panel.
“It includes only one person who has worked in the Australian Public Service while four of the six participants have backgrounds serving multinational corporations.”
She said the make-up of the panel underscored the Government’s misunderstanding of the APS and the critical role it plays in shaping the future of Australia.
