Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Human Services has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) The Department of Human Services' funding and average staffing levels vary in accordance with work levels from new measures and changes to the activities undertaken by the agency. The overall movement for the portfolio staffing number is a decrease in the Average Staffing Levels (ASL) from 34,839 in 2010-11 to 33,583 in 2011-12 – a reduction of 1,256 ASL. As at April 2011, actual ASL was 34,013.

The budgeted ASL for 2011-12 is estimated taking into account new Budget measures and adjustments to budget estimates such as the application of the efficiency dividend, wage cost indexation, terminating measures, supplier expenses (property costs, utilities, etc) and wage increases.

The reduction in ASL is primarily due to underlying revenue changes for the previous Centrelink agency. In response to the global financial crisis and unemployment forecast, Centrelink increased its average staffing levels in 2009-10 to deal with a predicted increase in unemployment. The unemployment rate turned out to be better than forecasted, and as a result, the predicted workload for Centrelink did not eventuate. Since then, Centrelink had been gradually adjusting its workforce to meet the reduced workload.

(2) No.

(3) The National Graduate Program was established in March 2010. It is currently being reviewed, following the integration of Centrelink and Medicare into the department. Overall numbers for graduate recruitment, cadets and apprentices are not expected to reduce.