Labor’s shift away from Coalition-era outsourcing is welcome, but the public service needs more than symbolic savings

‘Independents such as David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie focus on transparency, capability and the long-term health of the system. Across these positions, a shared recognition emerges: the APS cannot continue as it has.’ Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Australia’s shift away from external labour under the Albanese government is a welcome correction, but rebuilding the public service requires more than reducing consulting expenses. A capable public service is essential but the challenge is ensuring reforms deliver genuine capability rather than symbolic savings.

For decades, the Australian Public Service operated within a structural contradiction. Governments expected it to deliver increasingly complex programs while constraining its ability to build and maintain its capability. The result was a growing dependence on external labour — consultants, contractors, labour hire and outsourced providers performing work that could have been done by public servants.