Reports today about potential significant cuts of APS agency budgets are extremely concerning.

The Federal Government was re-elected with a promise of continuing the work of investing in the rebuilding of public services, not cuts.

While the Government has made progress repairing the damage done to public sector capacity following years of outsourcing, privatisation, and cuts, there is significantly more to do.

The job of addressing the use of contractors and consultants to do core public sector work is far from complete.

Austender data from 2024-25 reveals the Federal Government was still spending $270m or 46% more on consultancy contracts and $870m or 59% more on temporary personnel services contracts than it had been five years previously.

We know that there are still substantial savings to be made insourcing public sector work from private, for-profit providers.

This is where Government must direct its attention.

Arbitrary budget cuts across the public service hurt public services and inevitably result in job losses. The impact of this is always felt by the thousands of Australians who rely on public services every day.

The Government's stated support for the public service must be matched by what it actually delivers.

25 November 2025

All comments can be attributed Melissa Donnelly, CPSU National Secretary.

CPSU in the news

• CPSU on ABC TV news – watch clip on Facebook
• The Guardian – Public sector told to find significant savings but Jim Chalmers denies ‘big job cuts’
• Australian Financial Review – Labor to slash 5-6 billion from public service (paywall)
• Canberra Times – Government cuts threaten public service jobs (paywall)
• Canberra Times – Albanese Government ordered to release Finance Department letters (paywall)
• PS News – APS bosses told to find big savings sparking fears of public service job losses
• Government News - Backlash over APS savings push