Explore Our Plan
- Revitalise the Australian Public Service
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Over recent decades, successive governments have systematically eroded the capacity of the Australian Public Service (APS) through outsourcing, budget cuts, and reduced staffing.
During the Coalition’s nine years in power, APS employment was slashed by 7.5%, or over 12,500 jobs, while billions were funneled annually into outsourcing contracts, inflating costs, compromising quality, and diverting public money to corporate profits.
The Greens are focused on reversing the damage caused by privatisation and outsourcing, to rebuild a capable and well-resourced public service that operates in the public interest.
The Greens' plan:
- Strengthen our public service to meet the big challenges of our time, including the climate and inequality crises.
- Ensure an adequately staffed APS by aligning future public service growth with population growth in Australia.
- Boost APS staffing levels through new employment opportunities funded by savings from reducing expenditure on consulting firm contracts.
- Reduce agency spending on consultants
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Over the last decade, outsourcing to the Big Four consulting firms – KPMG, EY, PwC, and Deloitte – increased by 400%. Spending on outsourcing in 2021-22 alone cost the budget almost $21 billion.
These firms, also major political donors, have profited at the expense of public service employment, skills, and policymaking capability.
To rebuild a secure and innovative public service, spending on consultants must be reduced, and funding redirected to strengthening the APS.
The Greens are committed to ending reliance on private contractors and prioritising the public interest over corporate profits.
The Greens' plan:
- Cut wasteful spending on consultants by reducing federal government contracts with big consulting firms by 15% each year for five years, saving $905 million in the first three years and $5 billion over the decade.
- Rebuild public service capacity by redirecting savings into hiring and training public servants and strengthening in-house skills and policy-making capabilities.