Interim arrangements for APS recruitment

The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service, Senator the Hon. Eric Abetz, announced today interim new recruiting arrangements within the Australian Public Service to help meet the Government’s election commitment to reduce the public service by 12,000 employees through natural attrition.

The new arrangements will maximise the use of capability already within the APS by increasing efforts to provide every employment opportunity possible to existing staff.

External advertising of APS vacancies and non-ongoing (temporary) employment will be limited to critical vacancies only, most particularly in specialist roles, where a suitable employee cannot be found within the APS.

The APS will also continue to support targeted recruitment programmes for Graduate and Indigenous employees.

The Government will ensure that these arrangements will not compromise the ability of the APS to continue to support the Government and the Australian public to the highest standard.

In announcing the decision, Minister Abetz said today: “We went to the Australian people promising to improve the former Labor Government’s parlous budgetary position and this necessitates a reduction in the size of the public service. We are asking our public service to look carefully at every position that becomes vacant and ask whether that position is really necessary; or whether there is a better way to do business.”

The Australian Public Service Commission will take the steps necessary to implement the new arrangements.

Further information is available on the APSC website.