Labor leader Anthony Albanese has declined to promise higher public servant wages but says his party would revitalise the federal bureaucracy while putting the Treasury and Finance department to work in weeding out "rorts" and waste.
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Mr Albanese appeared on ABC's Insiders this morning renewing Labor's promise to reduce outsourcing and to reverse the "gutting" of the public service, but stopped short of pledging higher wages for bureaucrats after years of government-enforced suppressed pay growth.
Asked whether public servants deserved a wage rise, the Labor leader said that in government his party would negotiate in good faith and "in the usual way".
"We need to revitalise the public service. We need to stop the contracting out that's occurred, the use of labour hire, the gutting of the capacity of the public service, and that includes making sure that we can attract the best and brightest to the public service," he said.
"So we'll negotiate in good faith at the appropriate time as part of the award bargaining process."
His comments follow years of muted wages growth for low- and mid-ranking public servants under Coalition government policies capping increases and requiring no overall enhancements to workplace agreements for employees.
After years capping wage rises at 2 per cent, the Coalition marginally softened the policy in 2020 by tying them to private sector pay increases.
Mr Albanese was asked about his stance on public sector pay as the Labor leader continues to argue that minimum wages should not go backwards, despite accusations from the Coalition that he was intervening in an upcoming independent decision from the Fair Work Commission on the minimum wage.
The Labor leader on Sunday vowed to put Treasury and the Finance Department to work in identifying "rorts" and waste to make savings and help fund his agenda in government, in an apparent reference to "sports rorts"-style pork barrelling commitments. Mr Albanese flagged he would reveal more about the plans this week.
"This government has created multiple slush funds, whereby it's using expenditure to boost its own political standing," he said.
"We don't know even how much is in all of those funds because there's no transparency under this government. And we believe that does have to be gotten under control."
The Coalition is gearing up for its campaign launch in Brisbane today, where it is hoping to force a momentum change as polls indicate Labor is on track for victory on election day.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a policy aiming to free more housing stock by helping Australians downsize their homes and pay the proceeds into their superannuation.
The Coalition would grow the program by expanding eligibility to people aged 55 and over.
Mr Albanese on Insiders said Labor would support the scheme, despite the Coalition releasing no details on Sunday morning. The stance drew criticism from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg later, who accused the Labor leader of being a "mini-me" for supporting Coalition policies this election.
Mr Frydenberg defended the Coalition's stance on a federal integrity commission but again refrained from the language used by Mr Morrison to condemn the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The Treasurer said he supported a federal anti-corruption watchdog but that the model should not risk making politicians "guilty until proven innocent" or undermine the work of the courts by holding public hearings and allowing public referrals.
However he admitted that under the Coalition's proposed model, federal law enforcement officials could be subject to public hearings, a feature that has drawn criticism the Australian Federal Police Association representing federal police officers.
Mr Frydenberg also appeared to leave his position open regarding support for a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people enshrined in the constitution.
"I do believe that constitutional recognition is important," he said.
"This debate has got some way to go. I do see some challenges with it. And ultimately Australia would be best served by having a bipartisan approach on this, but we do support constitutional recognition of our First Australians."
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Mr Albanese said as prime minister he would reach out across the Parliament in trying to achieve consensus on a referendum on a constitutionally-enshrined Voice to Parliament, saying its creation would be a "nation-changing moment" that would strengthen Australia, similarly to Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations.
"This is a generous offer from First Nations people. All they're asking for is a bit of politeness, basically good manners says that if you have an issue that affects directly the health, the education, the housing, the lives of First Nations people, you should consult them," he said.
Mr Albanese later on Sunday at a campaign rally in Brisbane invoked the COVID-19 border wars, which regularly put Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at loggerheads with Mr Morrison.
And as Labor seeks to undo heavy swings against it suffered in 2019, Mr Albanese was eager to emphasise the Prime Minister's fractious relationship with his state Labor counterpart.
"You can choose a government that wants to work with Queensland, not against Queensland," he said.
"You can choose a Prime Minister who visits Queensland even when there's no election on ... and who doesn't bag Queenslanders as 'cave dwellers' when your Premier does the right thing to protect the health and safety of her state."
Premier Palaszczuk declared Mr Albanese would give Queenslanders "our fair share", reviving memories of state-Commonwealth clashes on COVID-19 border restrictions, which regularly put her at odds with Mr Morrison.
"Unlike Scott Morrison, he knows that Toowoomba is not in the desert. And instead of picking fights with us ... Albo is someone who will work with me to get the job done for Queensland," she said.
Labor on Sunday announced a $1 billion advanced manufacturing fund to diversity and rebuild Australia's industrial base in transport, defence, resources, agricultural and food processing, medical science, renewables and low-emissions technologies manufacturing.