Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a question for the Prime Minister. There's an unhealthy co-dependency between government contractors and political parties. On average, Australia's major parties are pocketing $430,000 every single year in donations from the big four consultancy firms. In return, Labor and the former coalition government have handed them contracts worth billions—$1.4 billion last year alone. Will the government follow other OECD countries and ban political donations from significant government contractors?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Curtin for her question, and note that there was a lot more money raised for the Curtin campaign then there was for Grayndler. I do make that point. It was a good campaign, and I'm pleased that she's here. I say congratulations. I don't know who the Labor candidate was for Curtin, but I don't think they thought they were going to win.

The fact is that what we have done as a government is employ more public servants in order to reduce the reliance on contractors. That is what we have done. We are addressing these issues because what we understand is that you've got to rebuild the Australian Public Service. We understand that the Public Service is an honourable profession, and we have given respect so that every single one of my ministers has—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will pause. I'll hear from the member for Curtin on a point of order?

Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance. The question is about banning political donations.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question also included a preamble about government contracts. That is part of the question, so the Prime Minister is able to answer that part of the question, and he's being relevant to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed, every single one of my ministers has been down at their departments, not just to meet with the secretary, the deputy secretaries and the senior people, but to meet with the people on the front line—whether they be people in Minister Shorten's portfolio in Centrelink, whether they be the people working in Amanda Rishworth's portfolio, whether they be people in the department of the environment with the minister for the environment—to say thank you, and that we honour the work that they do.

What we are doing, very clearly, if you look at where we're at, is seeking to rebuild the Public Service exactly so we're not as dependent upon contractors, as happened over a period of time, more and more, for things that should be the automatic function of government—getting advice from public servants in an independent way, whereby no one could argue that there's any private sector connection or profit motive involved so that you get that advice to government. I believe that will lead to better government. It's something my government is committed to. It's something that we're implementing in practice, and it will make a difference and produce better government in this country.