Proposed public service changes target ministerial intervention, APSC census results

Yearly staff censuses for agencies will also need to be made public along with action plans in response to the results.

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher and Assistant Public Service Minister Patrick Gorman say the proposed changes will help build a stronger, better bureaucracy.

The amendments coincide with a push by teal independent MP Sophie Scamp to "end jobs for mates" by creating a public appointments commissioner and forming independent departmental selection panels.

Other proposed measures include adding a new APS value of stewardship, requiring purpose statements, and encouraging decision-making at the lowest appropriate level.

"At its heart, this bill and the Albanese government's broader APS reform agenda are about restoring the public's trust and faith in government and its institutions," Senator Gallagher said.

"The reforms will strengthen the APS' core purpose and values, build the capability and expertise of the APS, and support good governance, accountability and transparency."

To strengthen the public service against ministerial interventions during the hiring process, the bill would replace a line of the Public Service Act from "an agency head is not subject to direction by any minister" to "a minister must not direct an agency head".

An explanatory document said the change further limits ministerial involvement in APS staffing decisions, such as the hiring and firing of individual APS staff.

"This amendment is intended to ensure that if, for example, an Agency Head selects a candidate for engagement following a merit based process, a Minister must not direct that Agency Head to engage another individual in place of the preferred candidate," it said.

The amendments build on from the landmark 2019 review into the public service by former Telstra chief executive David Thodey.

In his report, Mr Thodey found the APS lacked a unified purpose, was too internally focused and lost capability in important areas, Mr Gorman said while introducing the bill to the lower house on Wednesday morning.

He added the adjustments, such as clarifying ministerial intervention in employment matters, would reaffirm the apolitical role the public service plays and further enable it to deliver frank and fearless advice.

"We want the APS to be confident and capable, acting with clear purpose, demonstrating thought leadership and taking a long-term view on the implications of each decision and action," Mr Gorman said.

"Reform of such a large and complex organisation takes time and sustained effort. That's why we need reforms that stick, reforms that last."

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Empowering decision-making at lower levels would also help reduce "bureaucratic bottlenecks" but Mr Gorman stressed it wasn't about making lower-level staff make tough decisions.

"To be clear, this isn't about pushing work or risk down to an inappropriate level. Instead, it's about ensuring that decision-making is not raised to a higher level than necessary," he said.

"Ultimately, it's about improving decision-making processes, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, empowering staff, and fostering professional development."

The bill will be debated during the next sitting week and, if it passes ahead of the new year, will come into effect from January 1.

In October last year, Senator Gallagher announced the return of "short, sharp" review processes - another recommendation from Mr Thodey's 2019 report - after they were halted in 2016.

The Australian Public Service Commission volunteered to be the first in the reboot.