Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023, which will amend the Public Service Act 1989 to deliver enduring transformational change and ensure the Public Service is well-placed to serve the Australian government, the parliament and the Australian public into the future. This bill and the Albanese government's border APS reform agenda are about restoring the public's trust and faith in government institutions. The Public Service Amendment Bill 2023 will strengthen the APS's core purpose and values, build the capability and expertise of the APS and support good governance, accountability and transparency.

Our APS and APS employees are absolutely vital to my communities in Gilmore and, of course, so important right across our country, whether it is APS that work at our defence bases at HMAS Albatross and HMAS Creswell; or at Services Australia across multiple locations at Batemans Bay, Ulladulla and Nowra; and, of course, at Health, Veterans' Affairs, Indigenous Affairs and more.

I am proud to say that for a number of years I was an APS employee based at HMAS Albatross and had the privilege of working with my fellow APS employees as well as Navy, Army and Air Force members and contractors on incoming and outgoing helicopter types for Navy. It was a great experience and something that firmly showed me the importance of the APS and also the highly important relationship between our APS employees and Defence for defence capability.

I'm pleased that this bill will add a new APS value of stewardship, require an APS purpose statement, make it clear that ministers cannot direct agency heads on employment matters, encourage decision-making at the lowest appropriate level, make regular capability reviews a requirement, require annual APS employee census results to be published along with an action plan responding to the results and establish at least one long-term insight briefing each year. It's important to note that many of the proposed changes align with recommendations from the 2019 Thodey review. That independent review of the APS, led by Mr David Thodey, concluded that the APS lacked a unified purpose, was too internally focused and had lost capability in important areas. The Thodey review called for a Public Service that is trusted, future fit, responsive and agile to meet the changing needs of government and the community with professionalism and integrity.

The bill delivers on several important recommendations of the Thodey review, recognising that the case for reform has only strengthened in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, geopolitical disruptions and increasing economic volatility have all highlighted the importance of an APS that acts with agility and common purpose. And don't we know that on the New South Wales South Coast? The Black Summer bushfires taunted my communities for months on end. Lives, livelihoods and homes were lost. But through it all APS staff at Services Australia went above and beyond to support people, even when they themselves or their family members and friends were severely impacted.

Of course, it didn't stop with the Black Summer bushfires. My electorate in Gilmore really knows natural disasters. After the bushfires—actually during the bushfires—some communities in my electorate faced floods and storms. It is almost unthinkable that so much destruction could occur at once. People were still traumatised by the bushfires, and here they were being retraumatised by floods and storms. And then came COVID-19. A perfect storm of natural disasters having a devastating impact on everyone.

You cannot not be impacted by all of these disasters, but through it all APS staff at Services Australia were there, answering phone calls in massive volumes, connecting and ensuring that people received the help they needed. Sometimes I think it can be a thankless job, but it is so important. We should be proud of all our APS workers from all departments that do so much to support people.

Constituents in my electorate felt that dearly when, yes, they couldn't get their passports. It possibly seems a simple thing, but this had a massive impact on people in Gilmore. My office was inundated with distressed people and parents about to travel who did not yet have their children's passports when they were just days away from leaving the country. It was this government that brought in more staff to ensure we'd get through the passport and massive visa backlog. Similarly, on coming to government we found veterans' claims were also taking far too long to process. This is something that I heard about regularly from my local RSL subbranch advocates. One of the first things we did was boost the APS to ensure greater support to get through claims.

I am incredibly proud of all our local APS workers and our APS that supports our communities. The experience of recent years has also highlighted the enduring importance of the existing APS values: to be impartial, committed to service, accountable, respectful and ethical. I really think we have seen that enduring impartial commitment over this government's decision to implement our cheaper medicines policy from 1 September. I note that this was recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee first in 2018, but I know that APS workers in the Department of Health have shown genuine commitment and impartiality to help in making medicines cheaper for people. This includes staying focused to implement 60-day dispensing. Importantly, I also know they are committed to listening to concerns and ensuring that every dollar saved goes back into community pharmacy.

We need to support our APS workers more. We need to always encourage the modelling of good values and integrity. The APS needs to be honest, truly independent and empowered to provide frank and fearless advice and to defend legality and due process. The APS needs to listen to and engage with the Australian community, developing policy and delivering services with empathy and in a spirit of partnership. We should expect greater transparency about the state of the service and its ability to deliver. That helps build good trust in government. We want the APS to be confident and capable, acting with a clear purpose, demonstrating through leadership, and taking a long-term view of the implications of each decision and action. Reform of such a large and complex organisation takes time and sustained effort. That's why we need reforms that stick, reforms that last. For these reasons the Albanese government is introducing these amendments to the Public Service Act to embed reform in the legislation that guides and governs the Public Service. This bill aims to strengthen the core purpose and values of the APS. The APS is a complex organisation, comprising tens of thousands of dedicated individuals working across numerous departments and agencies. It is essential to foster a shared understanding of the APS's role and promote a unified approach. The amendments in this bill address this by reinforcing integrity as a guiding principle for the APS in everything it does.

One of the significant additions in this bill is the inclusion of a new APS value of stewardship. This addition was developed through extensive consultation with APS staff across the country. This value emphasises the importance of building capability and institutional knowledge. and supporting the public interest for both present and future generations. Stewardship is deeply rooted in Australia's history, as First Nations Australians have long served as the original stewards of this land. By requiring all APS employees to uphold stewardship, this bill strengthens their crucial role as stewards of our nation.

I want to take a moment to thank APS employees, defence and contractors for the way they work together to provide great stewardship of our lands and waters. I have seen this in action many times at both HMAS Albatross and HMAS Creswell where the APS and defence members interact seamlessly. This also really benefits our communities.

This bill will seek to create a unifying purpose statement for the APS. This is so important because we need to work together towards a common goal. This purpose statement will serve as a common foundation for collaborative leadership, aligned services and shared delivery across all departments and agencies. It will provide tens of thousands of APS employees with a shared sense of purpose and reinforce a unified approach in serving the community. But it won't just be a static statement; this purpose statement will be periodically refreshed to adapt to the evolving role of the APS over time, because the nation's goals will shift over time and it will be important for us to continually reassess what our direction as a nation should be.

The previous government hollowed out the Public Service and took away their power to make decisions. They took the creativity away from the public sector, forced them to bend to the will of ministers even when it was against the department's best advice. We're not going to do that. The Albanese Labor government respects the work of the Public Service. That's why, to safeguard the impartiality of the APS, it is vital to limit ministerial directions on individual APS staffing decisions. The first APS value emphasises the need for an impartial Public Service, and this bill strengthens the provision in the Public Service Act to ensure ministers cannot interfere in such matters. This reaffirms the apolitical nature of the APS and empowers agency heads to act with integrity and maintain public trust.

Building capability and expertise through leadership of the APS is another critical aspect addressed in this bill. The APS must continuously assess its strengths and weaknesses, engage with the Australian public, and work in genuine partnership to solve problems and design solutions that benefit our country. By embedding ongoing measures to enhance capability, this bill ensures the APS remains future fit. We need an agile public sector that is equipped to tackle the challenges facing Australia and deliver modern policy and service solutions. To ensure that the Public Service stays agile, we will ensure that there are regular independent and transparent capability reviews. These will be essential for assessing the strengths and areas of development within each department of state, Services Australia and the Australian Taxation Office. These reviews, conducted every five years, will contribute to a culture of continuous improvement within the APS and enable a better understanding of the agencies' operating environment, both present and future. In line with the Thodey review's recommendations, this bill introduces long-term insight reports commissioned by the Secretaries Board. These evidence based reports developed through public consultation will explore medium-term and long-term trends, risks and opportunities that Australia faces. By engaging with academics, experts and the broader community, the APS can strengthen its expertise and understanding of cross-cutting issues that impact all Australians. Importantly, this bill addresses the need for good governance, accountability and transparency within the APS.

Unlike the previous government, the Albanese Labor government doesn't want to have secret deals that go on behind closed doors. We want to make sure that there is never another robodebt scandal. One of the ways this bill will achieve this is by publishing annual APS employee census results. Public sector agencies will be encouraged to foster a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. This bill will help to provide employees with a voice, ensuring their thoughts, concerns and ideas are not only heard but also acted upon. Additionally, enabling APS employees to make decisions at the lowest appropriate classification level will reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, promote professional development and create a culture of trust and support.

It is undeniable that Australia is faced with immense challenges in the coming decade, but I am confident that the Australian Public Service will rise to the occasion. Our valuable public sector will play a vital role in meeting the evolving needs of government. The Thodey review has presented us with a crucial blueprint for the continuous transformation of the public sector, ensuring its ability to adapt to changing circumstances and demands, and the Albanese government is responding with great ambition through the APS reform agenda. With the introduction of this bill and the necessary amendments to the Public Service Act, we are taking important action to strengthen the public's trust and confidence in our government and one of its most significant institutions, the Australian Public Service. I thank all our tireless APS workers in Gilmore and our APS for supporting people in my communities and across our nation. Together let us forge ahead, embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we work towards a future where the APS continues to be a pillar of excellence, responsiveness and public service for the betterment of our nation and its people. I commend this bill to the House.

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