The Australian Public Service plays a vital role in the lives of Australians, offering support and services through life’s key moments. Whether it’s the birth of a child, accessing healthcare, staying safe overseas or navigating tough times.
We must embody honesty and independence and provide frank and considered advice. Each public servant has an important role in maintaining and improving the APS for the Australian community.
Trust and integrity are not set and forget. The APS is continuing its efforts to create a lasting pro-integrity culture.
Here’s how we’re turning this vision into reality:
- National Anti‑Corruption Commission established. In its first 12 months of operation, it has handled 3,190 referrals.
- Changes to the Public Service Act 1999. Stewardship was added as a new APS Value, capability reviews became a requirement, transparency was improved by publishing agency census results, and Long-term Insights Briefs were started to look at long-term policy challenges.
- Addressing issues raised by the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. This includes enhancing the quality of legal advice to Cabinet, re-establishing the Administrative Review Council and providing additional capacity for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman to handle complaints and undertake investigations of systemic issues.
- Updated the PGPA Fraud Rule provisions. This helped strengthen protections against fraud and corruption in the APS.
- Strengthened protections for whistle-blowers. This helps bring allegations of wrongdoing to light.
- Built the integrity capability of senior public servants. SES are undertaking mandatory integrity training to foster a pro-integrity culture at all levels.
- Implemented recommendations from the Set the Standard Report. These help create safer and more respectful Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces.
The APS has made significant headway towards strengthening integrity across the APS, with more to come in 2025.
Read the APS Reform Annual Progress Report 2024 to find out how we are building an APS that embodies integrity in everything it does in the APS.