Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Mr NG (Menzies) (12:24): I am proud to speak on this Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 and on expenditure for Prime Minister and Cabinet, which is an essential part of the Public Service. It's the Public Service that I was proud to work in for over a decade before becoming a lawyer. There will always be those who deride the Public Service, including, sadly, some of those on the opposite side of this chamber.
But I know that the Public Service is an institution that is filled with hardworking, dedicated public servants with deep expertise and commitment to serving the Australian people. The Albanese Labor government recognises and respects the fact that the Public Service makes up the bulk of the executive arm of government and is essential to the delivery of the policies of governments of any persuasion.
That is why I welcomed the Albanese Labor government's commitment to rebuilding and strengthening the Australian Public Service. The latest APS Employee Census is proof that our commitment is delivering results. It shows a stronger, more resilient Public Service—one that is engaged, innovative and focused on delivering better outcomes for Australians.
These results demonstrate that, when we invest in people and systems, we build a service that is confident in its purpose, proud of its work and better equipped to serve the community. Staff are reporting stronger motivation, improved wellbeing and greater confidence in their agencies. Public servants overwhelmingly expressed their willingness to go above and beyond in their roles.
They share a deep belief in the mission and goals of their organisations and feel confident to do their jobs with honesty and integrity. I know from personal experience and from friends who work in the Public Service that, when the Albanese Labor government came to power, it was like a breath of fresh air to the Public Service. Jobs that had been outsourced to labour hire firms were converted into secure, permanent roles.
In the Department of Home Affairs, where I worked, a number of jobs in the essential Translating and Interpreting Service—which provides translating services for migrants and refugees when they visit their doctor or use government services—were converted into full-time, secure roles. Staffing shortages, which had festered for years and which resulted in delays for essential services, were finally addressed.
Most importantly, when the Albanese Labor government came to power, public servants felt valued by their government again. Years of underinvestment by coalition governments resulted in backlogs, delays and even the disastrous robodebt scheme. We can see the turnaround most clearly in frontline services.
Between April and June this year, Services Australia processed 4.2 million Medicare and Centrelink claims and handled over 10 million calls. Extra staff brought in by this government have helped to clear backlogs that grew during the pandemic, and they have cut processing times dramatically. Paid parental leave claims now take just three days, down from 20 days.
That's seven times faster. Childcare subsidy claims take eight days, down from 21—three times faster. New family tax benefit claims take eight days, down from 40—five days faster.
When this government took office, it inherited a backlog of more than 42,000 veterans' claims. Some veterans had waited for over two years before their cases were even assessed. This did not happen by chance.
It was a direct consequence of years of staff caps and neglect under the coalition. I visited the Box Hill RSL during the election campaign. I heard from veterans the effect of the delays in processing their claims and how they felt undervalued by their government.
It is a shameful way to treat people who have served their country. Today, that picture has changed; 97 per cent of those claims have now been cleared, and what once took more than a hundred days is now being allocated in just a fortnight. The message is simple: when governments fail to invest in a public service, it is everyday Australians who pay the price.
At the last election, the coalition made no secret of its priorities. They put forward a plan to cut 36,000 Public Service jobs, reducing the workforce by 20 per cent. What they chose to label as 'unnecessary spending' is in truth a foundation of essential services that Australians rely on every day.
When a baby is born, it is Services Australia that issues the first Medicare card and processes parental leave. When a young person starts their first job, they rely on the ATO to make sure they get their tax file number. Every year, public servants process 121 million Centrelink and Medicare claims, manage aged care, regulate the NDIS and process passports.
I commend this bill to the House.