In June 2023, the Australian government introduced a bill to amend the Public Service Act 1999 as part of its plan to reform the Australian Public Service. These reforms are a first step to supporting the APS to better serve the Government, the Parliament, and the Australian community, now and into the future.
Consultation on the reform initiatives within the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023 commenced on 3 May 2023. An exposure draft was released for public comment on 22 May 2023 on the APS Reform Website.
Who we heard from
We received submissions from a range of stakeholders, including state and territory public sector commissions, non-government entities, unions, academic experts and the general public.
Your ideas
Thank you for your submissions. We’ve listened and your contributions have been invaluable in supporting the development of the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023.
What we have heard
Overwhelmingly, the responses we received were supportive of the initiatives within the Bill, as well as of the overall direction of the Government’s APS Reform Agenda.
Overwhelmingly, the responses:
- Supported the introduction of stewardship as an APS Value, and the focus it places on building the integrity and long-term capability across the Service;
- Welcomed the ‘whole-of-government’ common purpose fostered by the creation of an APS Purpose Statement;
- Supported strengthening the prohibition on Ministers directing agency heads on APS employment decisions;
- Supported the regular use of capability reviews as a means to support transparency and accountability;
- Supported the introduction of a regular program of long-term insights reports, to improve the capability of the APS to address the emerging needs of the Australian community;
- Supported the publication of agencies’ APS Census results, support transparency and accountability within the APS.