CPSU national assistant national secretary Michael Tull speaks on 'frustrating' dependence on contractors within the APS

"The reality is that consulting to government has become a multi-billion dollar business, it's a business that's rife with potential conflicts of interest," Michael Tull, Community and Public Sector Union assistant national secretary, told a Senate public hearing on Tuesday.

"The public has seen regular news reports of scandals and questionable behaviour by consultants, and these reports and the public skepticism they generate really do undermine trust in government and public institutions."

The hearing is part of an inquiry considering issues of transparency and integrity around the federal government's use of consultants.

Greens senator Barbara Pocock successfully called for the probe after a senior figure at PricewaterhouseCoopers leaked confidential government information to other staff at the firm.

It was also revealed at the Robodebt Royal Commisision that the firm, which was commissioned to write a report about the unlawful debt-raising scheme in 2017, was never required to produce the final written copy.

In their submission to the senate committee, the main public sector union referred to contracts worth more than $15 million, given out by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources for the administration and assessment of government grants.

"This one seems to us, a good example of the potential conflicts that consultants can bring where they are doing, in this case, what is core public service work," Mr Tull told the committee.

"This isn't strategic advice, this is administration."

READ MORE:

Mr Tull said the union was not in favour of consultants being "turfed out", but was concerned about the work they were engaged to undertake.

"Our particular problem is we think they are doing work that they should not be doing," he said.

Mr Tull also reported hearing from "frustrated" public servants who were losing out on meaningful work.

"It is a regular and very frustrating occurrence for workers to see consultants brought in to do work that can and should be done in the public service," he told the senators, including committee chair, Liberal senator Richard Colbeck, Labor senator Louise Pratt and Senator Pocock.

"And that when the consultants come in, they rely very heavily on the skills and knowledge of the public service. Frustrating is probably the polite term for that.

"Staff really do not like it, they really do not like seeing that.

"Not just because of what it means for their career, that's part of it, but also because of what it means for the quality of work that they get to do and what it says about their department and also what it says about the public service."

The inquiry will hold another public hearing in June.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: