The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has tonight welcomed the Albanese Government's ongoing commitment to rebuilding the public services that Australians rely on.
This budget progresses rebuilding by further reducing outsourcing and investing in additional jobs in the NDIA, the aged care regulator, Biosecurity, Home Affairs, the AFP, and Defence.
After a decade of cuts and wasteful outsourcing under the former Coalition Government, the Albanese Government has consistently invested in rebuilding APS capability and capacity.
This has resulted in falling wait times, cleared backlogs and a significant reduction in wasteful outsourcing.
- Aged Pension claims are being processed 52 days faster on average (32 days compared to 84 days, a 62% reduction).
- Paid Parental Leave claims are being processed 28 days faster on average (3 days compared to 31 days, a 90% reduction).
- Medicare patient claims are being processed 5 days faster on average (2 days compared to 7 days, a 71% reduction).
While the Government's work to rebuild the APS is ongoing, these improvements demonstrate the importance of investing in public services rather than cutting and outsourcing them.
In stark contrast, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has flagged plans to slash at least 36,000 public sector jobs, which will decimate public services right around the country, and return instead to wasteful and ineffective outsourcing.
Peter Dutton needs to be upfront with Australians about what public services his government would cut, and the impact for Australians who rely on those services.
Quotes attributable to Melissa Donnelly, CPSU National Secretary:
"This budget continues a three-year effort to rebuild the public service after a decade of cuts and rampant outsourcing.
"The results of investment are clear. Faster processing times for pensioners, parents, and patients show what happens when you fund public services properly. And when disaster strikes, the Bureau of Meteorology, the National Emergency Management Agency, the ABC and Services Australia are there protecting, informing and supporting Australians.
"When public services are well resourced, Australians get the services they need, when and where they need them.
"Peter Dutton's plan to cut 36,000 jobs is an attack on the services Australians rely on.
"But he is keeping where the cuts will be a secret, because he doesn't want veterans to know he'll take DVA back to where it was under the Liberals, with a backlog of 42,000 claims. He doesn't want people with disability to know the NDIS will be cut. He doesn't want pensioners to know it will take longer to get their claims processed.
"We may not know what he plans to cut, but we do know that the only people who win from Peter Dutton's plan to gut the public service are the big consulting firms like KPMG and PwC, who profited under the Morrison Government while frontline services suffered.
