Federal Labor welcomes the contribution made today by David Thodey, the chair of the independent Australian Public Service Review, in which he outlined the broad priorities for change within the public service.
 
Mr Thodey raised important issues for the review to consider further, including around culture, capability, and internal and external partnerships.
 
Our hope for the review is that it will help ensure Australians have the kind of public service they need and deserve – one that can properly deliver the services they rely on, offers frank and fearless advice to Government, and provides value for money.
 
Labor thanks Mr Thodey and his review panel for the opportunity to engage over recent months on some of the issues raised today and we look forward to the release of the final report.
 
In the interim, we encourage the Government to adopt Labor’s policies to improve the public service, including abolishing the arbitrary average staffing level (ASL) cap, reining in wasteful spending on contractors and consultants, not proceeding with the remaining 0.5 per cent additional efficiency dividend next financial year, adding 1200 new permanent and full-time Department of Human Services staff, and reducing spending on travel across the public service.