The proposal has 2 components which would commence on 1 July 2023 and would be ongoing.

Component 1 would increase funding and staffing levels for Australian Public Service (APS) staff.

• Element 1 would lift wage growth for staff under the Australian Public Service Act 1999 (the Act) over 4 years from 2023-24 to 2026-27, namely by 4% per year for all APS level and Executive Level staff and by 2% per year for all Senior Executive Service (SES) staff.
  • After this time, wages would return to their projected growth. The impact of the efficiency dividend on wage growth would be removed.
• Element 2 would restore total ongoing staffing numbers under the Act to 153,473 full-time equivalent employees, the same as at the end of 2011-12.
  • The increase in ongoing staff would occur in equal stages over a 4-year period and ongoing staff numbers would grow by the same rate as population growth thereafter.
• Element 3 would remove the average staffing level cap for staff under the Act.
  • The cap currently maintains staff in the general government sector, excluding military and reserves, at or below their 2006-07 level of 167,596.

Component 2 would restrict expenditure on labour-hire companies and some contractors.

• Element 1 would shift expenditure from labour-hire companies to general APS departmental funding. Labour hire would be allowed in exceptional circumstances.
• Element 2 would impose a cap of 7.5% of current projected agency-by-agency expenditure for consultancy contracts and non-consultancy contracts, where labour is procured directly by an Australian Government entity or through on-hire labour firms.
  • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency and Clean Energy Finance Corporation would be exempt.

The increase in staffing numbers under Component 1 would be used to add several additional functions to the public service, including:

• establishing a justice reinvestment co-ordinating body in the Attorney-General’s Department
• developing a plan to increase and developing the First Nations’ health workforce within the Department of Health
• establishing a whistle blower protection commissioner and an independent debates commission within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
• establishing an independent development oversight agency and restoring the role of the Climate Ambassador within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• establishing a Centre for Climate Repair within the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.