Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I think it was pretty relevant. Also, the former Prime Minister used his speech at the Institute of Public Administration to claim that only those who have put their name on a ballot can truly understand the significance of accountability—again, I think, misrepresenting the role of the Public Service—and this is from someone who secretly swore himself into multiple ministries. So I am proud that with the formation of our government the neglect of APS has ended. We will never treat public servants or the expertise they provide the way that those now in opposition did. We will always respect and take account of their frank and fearless advice.

Integrity is a cornerstone of the Labor government's APS reform agenda. Recent events such as the robodebt royal commission and revelations about the role of consultancies in light of the PwC scandal have highlighted the need to strengthen integrity measures within the Public Service. This bill sets the foundation for broader reforms by introducing important new provisions. These provisions lay the groundwork for future legislation that will specifically target integrity concerns.

One of the key measures of this bill is the addition of a new APS value of stewardship, which underlines the importance of building capability and institutional knowledge within the APS, and which all APS employees must uphold. Stewardship will be defined as the APS builds capability and institutional knowledge, and will support the public interest now and into the future by understanding the long-term impact of what it does. This value emphasises the importance of long-term planning in considering the broader consequences of APS actions.

It is so vital that we recognise the long-term impacts of the work done by the APS, and this bill reinforces the role of APS employees in serving successive governments, the parliament and the Australian public. It complements the stewardship duties of secretaries, the Secretaries Board and the commissioner. It also introduces measures to enhance the work environment within the APS. It requires agency heads to create an environment that enables decisions to be made by APS employees at the lowest appropriate classification. This empowers employees and fosters a culture of accountability and effective decision-making throughout the service. By reducing unnecessary hierarchy and empowering APS employees, this provision will ensure efficient decision-making processes and a more agile and responsive APS.

Furthermore, the bill empowers the APS Commissioner and the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to conduct periodic capability reviews of departments and key agencies. These reviews will become a five-yearly requirement for each department of state, Services Australia and the Australian Taxation Office. The reviews will assess organisational strength and areas for development, with reports and action plans responding to the findings required to be publicly released. This will enable continuous improvement within agencies and ensure transparency in their performance. Transparency and accountability are crucial in building public trust. That is why the bill includes provisions that require the Secretaries Board to request and publish regular long-term insights reports, which will provide information about medium-term and long-term trends, risks and opportunities affecting Australia. Additionally, agencies will be required to publish their annual APS employee census results, along with action plans that address the findings. This will foster a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure the APS listens to and addresses the thoughts, concerns and ideas of its employees. Extensive consultation has been conducted throughout the development of the bill, and a public consultation paper was released on 3 May, followed by an exposure draft and explanatory memorandum.

As I said, this bill is an important part of a broader agenda for reforming the APS and part of that is a sign that our government takes its role seriously and respects the people that work within the Australian Public Service. I am very proud to be part of a government that does this. It is critically important. Public servants do the work that perhaps is not seen every day but that impacts the things that each and every Australian benefits from every day, like keeping us safe, delivering services, providing the advice that creates the policies that will benefit all Australians, even our interactions with other countries around the world, our security, our defence. Public servants play an incredibly important role each and every day, and I take this opportunity to again thank them for all that they do. I again thank all the public servants, particularly in this building, that support the parliament to run every day. I commend the bill to the House.

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