
Issue No 89		23 March 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

News

Labor to Restore Public Sector’s Dignity

A Beazley Labor Government has vowed to repair the Commonwealth Public Service after five years of ideological fuelled attack by putting the breaks on outsourcing.

Opposition leader Kim Beazley and his shadow responsible for the public sector, John Faulkner, unveiled the Labor blueprint this week.

"The Howard Government has brought to the Public Service a harmful mixture of bloody-mindedness, ideological prejudice and policy laziness, " Beazley says.

"Because of this, the Australian Public Service is crying out for basic repair in many areas and overall reinvigoration in others."

Among the key policy initiatives are:

- The establishment of a Public Service Institute dedicated to the provision of high quality education and training in all areas of public administration. This will be an important component of the Knowledge Nation. The institute will enable all public servants, wherever they may be located, to upgrade their skills, qualifications and career prospects.

- Tough new outsourcing rules which will be enforced through a public interest test for any outsourcing proposal by a department. Rules will include stringent requirements for full public accountability, genuine cost savings and protection of privacy. In-house bids will be facilitated.

- An independent review to recommend principles that should underpin Government decisions to locate functions inside or outside the Public Service, and ways to achieve a better balance between central co-ordination and devolution of administrative responsibilities.

- The abolition of performance pay for secretaries and the phasing out of performance bonuses for public servants as industrial agreements expire and new collective agreements are negotiated and implemented.

- An end to Australian Workplace Agreements in the Public Service, with transitional arrangements being developed, in consultation with agencies and unions, to facilitate the bringing of employees who are on AWAs under the new collective enterprise agreements on a no-detriment basis.

- Strengthened procedures for regulating the appointment and tenure of secretaries, which will reinforce the professional, apolitical nature of the Public Service.

The Community and Public Sector union has the Canberra policy launch as a "significant" step in the right direction.

National secretary Wendy Caird says the most important element in the public service blueprint unveiled by Senator John Faulkner was a "clear break with present policies which are anti-public service and marginalise the public sector"

She says pledges on out-sourcing, employment issues and de-politicising the appointments of departmental secretaries were especially encouraging.

Read John Faulkner's policy speech in the Soapbox

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 89 contents

Interview: Paddy Takes the Helm
Irish, internationalist, republican, socialist & seafarer - Paddy Crumlin intends taking the old traditions of the labour left into the 21st century, the community and cyberspace.

Unions: Breaking the Mould
Mark Hearn looks at how women union delegates are helping to change the culture in the traditionally male bastion of glassworking.

Legal: Washing Their Hands
Mark Morey outlines how Liberal neglect of the working visa system has led to exploitation of guest workers.

International: Violence Betrays Shangri-La
Shangri-La hotel union members carrying a coffin marked Robert Kuok have been assaulted and beaten by police in Jakarta.

Economics: Corporations: Different Than You and Me
Corporations are fundamentally different than you and me. That's a simple truth that Big Business leaders desperately hope the public will not perceive.

History: The Steel Octopus
Be prepared for a flood of Nostalgia from the media about the “Big Australian”, as it prepares to flee our shores and finally internationalise its digging operations. Workers won’t forget BHP’s less than worker friendly past and present (and no doubt it’s future).

Review: Mean Nation
John Allen charts the fall and fall of philanthropy in Australian society.

Satire: Ryan 'A Big Wake-Up Call For Me': Beazley
The narrow victory to Labor in the Ryan by-election has delivered a big slap in the face to Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley.

» Abbott and ‘Drinking Buddy’ Under Microscope

» Working Visas: Ruddock Sells Dump to Abbott

» Tourist Guides Bussed In

» Fair Wear Holds Breath as Carr Celebrates

» Labor to Restore Public Sector’s Dignity

» Its Time for Carr to Act on Safey on Building Sites

» Bread Maker Slices Workforce

» Workers Show Grace Under Pressure

» Engineers Win BHP Redundancy Case

» Transport Drug Pushers Not Charged

» Training Body Needs $150 Million to Cope with Growth

» HIH Urged To Safeguard Employee Entitlements

» Carr Proposal For Public Schools Flawed

» Human Smirk Returns to Spiritual Home

» McGauchie Appointment Draws MUA Fire

» Bove Loses McDonald's Raid Appeal

» James Hardie Called to Account

» Australasian Union Organising Conference

» Activist Notebook