@CPSUnion News: Public servants invisible heroes or easy targets (Tw: #AusUnions #NSWisconsin )

The finding of The State of the Australian Public Service: An Alternative Report challenges the Federal Opposition's policy to axe 12,000 public servants, as there has been a decline in the number of public servants per capita since 1991.

The study shows that because of the growth in Australia's population over the past two decades it would take an extra 50,000 public servants to reach the number of APS staff per capita that we had in 1990. The author of the study, Dr James Whelan, said attacks on public sector budgets are also out of step with voters' views.

"Our politicians' views are out of step with community attitudes. Almost 70% of Australians support delaying the return to surplus and two-thirds support maintaining or increasing public sector spending," said Dr James Whelan, research director of CPD's Public Service program.

"Some politicians think of APS cuts as a free lunch," said Dr Whelan.

"When there are financial pressures, politicians sometimes look to public service funding as the first place to cut costs, without thinking of the cost to the public."

"Joe Hockey's idea to abolish the Department of Climate Change while processing tens of thousands of tenders for their emissions reduction fund reveals the growing gap between political pointscoring and the real-world demands on the public service to get the work of government done", said Dr Whelan.

The State of the Australian Public Service analyses 20 years of opinion research on government and the public service, and finds evidence of a disconnect between frequent public service bashing by politicians and commentators and consistently positive views of the public sector in the broader community.

An increasing majority of Australians are willing to forego income to pay for public services. Only 34% favour tax cuts. There's a strong preference for services to be provided by the public sector: twice as many people support public over private provision of health and education for example.

"British Prime Minister David Cameron's ‘Big Society' vision entails cutting the public sector budget by ₤80 billion, freezing wages and calling for tenders for most services. At a time when the public service is under attack in the UK, Canada, New Zealand and the US, Australian politicians who are tempted to follow suit should be aware of Australian voters' strong support for the public sector."
said Dr Whelan.

The State of the Australian Public Service: An Alternative Report presents a comprehensive picture of employment trends, community attitudes and political agendas over the last twenty years.

The report also finds that the APS is an increasingly top-heavy workforce that does not reflect the diversity of the Australian community, with indigenous people and people with a disability under-represented, and women under-represented in the senior ranks. The State of the Australian Public Service: An Alternative Report is available for download at http://cpd.org.au

CPSU WELCOMES REPORT

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said: "This is a significant report and we welcome the factual balance it brings to the ongoing debate about the size and role of the APS.

"It's wake up call for those politicians who continue to call for an axe to be taken to the public sector. It shows that their attacks on the public sector are not supported by the community.

"In fact, most Australians support government playing an active role in society and the economy. It also confirms that most people have a higher level of confidence in public service agencies than in major companies.

"The report highlights the damaging role the mainstream media and our politicians play by talking down the public sector. Why do Australian politicians feel they need to trot out the same tired and groundless stereotypes about the men and women of the APS?" asked Ms Flood.

The report also proposes the introduction of a major survey to measure how satisfied and confident the community is with the Australian Public Service year by year, a move the CPSU supports. 

Join the CPD Public Service "roundtable" conversation:

If you want to hear more about this report and the Centre for Policy Development's research, consider joining the CPD at one of their upcoming roundtables. These discussions will include a presentation of the first research publication from our Public Service program. Participants will be invited to share their observations of state and national public service agencies and services, describe their organisations' perspectives and activities, and explore the potential for collaborative public interest research and policy development. We'll kick off at 11.30am and conclude with a light lunch by 1pm. If you are interested in participating in this discussion please contact admin@cpd.org.au

Sydney:	23 August - Druitt St, Sydney [LIMITED PLACES]
Melbourne:	30 August - LaTrobe St, Melbourne [LIMITED PLACES]
Canberra:	6 September - Leichhardt St, Kingston [SESSION FULL]

Lessons from the front line: What works and what doesn't in UK public sector reform | Professor John Seddon

• Wednesday 31 August, 3pm to 5pm (followed by wine and canapés)
• Dixon Room, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place Sydney (Mitchell Wing entrance)
• Cost: $22 (NSW IPAA members) or $44 (non-members), includes canapés and drinks following the presentation.

Limited places so register now. http://nsw.ipaa.org.au/eventview.aspx?id=54

What is the Centre for Policy Development?
CPD is a public interest think tank dedicated to seeking out creative, viable ideas and innovative research to inject into Australia’s policy debates. We give a diverse community of thinkers space to imagine solutions to Australia’s most urgent challenges, and we do what it takes to make their ideas matter. The CPSU along with other unions and community groups provides some funding for the CPD. Find out more about the Public Service Research Program here:

via cpsu.org.au

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