![Is Senator Linda Reynolds rebranding herself as a new bastion of integrity and accountability? Who can say. Is Senator Linda Reynolds rebranding herself as a new bastion of integrity and accountability? Who can say.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/a7a067f6-6158-4355-98b5-40c6b8d36585.jpg/r0_0_1940_1091_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Agency heads have earned a lot of names and descriptors over the years: mandarins; senior bureaucrats; fat cats; top brass.
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But Senator Linda Reynolds, a minister of many until the May 2022 election, has suggested a new one - artists.
The Western Australian senator is now perched upon the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit as its deputy chair - a role she's held for nearly eight months.
The former NDIS minister said she had observed an interesting trend so far during that time - nobody seems to take accountability.
An audit into the Home Affairs Department's $2.6 billion contract for aerial surveillance had revealed the department continued to pay the full monthly rate despite the supplier not providing enough aircrew to fulfil the requirements, and at least $17 million was spent without supporting invoices.
Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo in February conceded it wasn't an ideal scenario but pointed to a number of funding model issues he said had contributed to the outcome.
On Thursday, however, Auditor-General Grant Hehir rubbished much of Mr Pezzullo's defence, saying some of it made little sense, or was irrelevant.
Senator Reynolds was ultimately taken back by the fact no one's wrists were getting slapped.
"There's just this really interesting procession of, 'Well, yes, all these things have happened. But it wasn't my ... I wasn't accountable or responsible for it, because it happened under somebody [else]'," she said during last Thursday's hearing.
"It seems like a bit of a fine art in the public sector, that nobody is accountable, really, for anything."
The Liberal senator, a former frontbencher, sure knows a bit about slaps on the wrist. But brushing aside her own recent past - which included questionable conduct during a Parliament House rape trial, which involved her former staffer Brittany Higgins - she might have a solid point.
"Finance is saying, 'Well, we're sort of kind of responsible for, you know, setting ... sort of setting this here, but we're not accountable for how it's actually delivered'," she said.
"And then you've got people in the public service, including secretaries who [say], 'Well, you know, there's all these other sorts of reasons, excuses, but it's not really my fault' or, 'We've had, you know, three chief procurement officers since that sort of happened'.
"So, it's like a fine art of some people responsible for doing stuff and picking up stuff that other people have done but the accountability never sticks to anybody.
"Is that an unfair characterisation or? That's just my impression of the vibe of it so far."
We think it might just be the vibe of it all.
No sweeteners for Defence, ATO
The Department of Defence and the Australian Taxation Office were keen to get a little extra cash for their staff this year.
Under a temporary arrangement, APS staff eligible for a pay rise before August 31 this year can only get a 3 per cent bump.
Nine agencies will be due for this increase, including Defence and the ATO.
Talks are ongoing right now to figure out what agencies can expect for the next three years after that.
But in this economy, Defence and the ATO were like, 'If you don't ask for more, how will you ever get it'?
Sadly, they did not get it. Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher knocked back requests made by Minister for Defence Personnel Matt Keogh and the Australian Services Union's branch secretary representing tax officers Jeff Lapidos, which were "not exceptional".
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Both agencies said they faced retention pressures and a lack of remuneration competitiveness.
Defence had an ongoing employee exit rate of 14.1 per cent in June 2022, but this was comparable to other agencies. The department's wages for APS5, APS6 and EL1 ranks (the most populated classifications) were also in line with other agencies.
The ATO was in a similar position, and added only 64 per cent of its staff felt fairly remunerated. Apparently this is actually pretty good, though, compared to the rest of the APS, where 61 per cent of staff felt they were paid well.
A partial exemption has, however, been granted to Airservices Australia's aviation rescue firefighters, to allow a 4.9 per cent increase over 12 months.
Now, how are those pay talks coming along?
![Climate Change secretary David Fredericks is readying himself for an avalanche. Picture by Karleen Minney Climate Change secretary David Fredericks is readying himself for an avalanche. Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/143258707/d2f6c924-37f5-4def-921b-76638af7d31f.jpg/r0_285_5568_3428_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Whispers suggest Russell Report avalanche imminent
There are murmurs an independent review into serious workplace allegations at the Australian Antarctic Division could be released as early as this week.
The review, which was ordered by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water secretary David Fredericks, was delivered on March 2 and expected to be released at the end of March.
It was ordered after allegations of rampant sexual harassment and misconduct came to light in September last year, including reports of unwelcome requests for sex, non-consensual physical contact and displays of offensive or pornographic material within the workplace's "predatory and objectifying" culture.
Conducted by former Swimming Australia chief executive Leigh Russell, the review looked at whether the cultural issues had been addressed and improved upon, and provided advice on the best practice systems and policies for staff who experience issues.
Mr Fredericks has already flagged the report contains "a substantial number of findings and recommendations".
The art of the long weekend
The quest to find out which public servants chose to work on Australia Day has inched forward.
The Department of Home Affairs received 20 submissions from employees requesting to work on January 26.
Of those 20 submissions, seven people asked to instead have Friday, January 27 off. That's just 20 requests from a department, which employs over 13,000 people.
But as reported last week, Public Eye's attempt to find out how many bureaucrats made the most of flexible measures to take a long weekend were a bit of a flop.
Most staff were allowed to make arrangements directly with their managers, so records were patchy.
The whole thing became a hot topic when the Albanese government reversed a Coalition decision to ban working on Australia Day, Anzac Day and the Queen's Birthday.
Looks like this is the end of it; until Anzac Day.
Over to you
- Have you seen your bosses turn dodging accountability into a fine art?
- ps@canberratimes.com.au
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