Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

You do not have to listen to TheCanberra Times, just to your constituents, who might tell you what is really happening on the ground.

We are talking about a dedicated group of public servants who used to work in FaHCSIA and who were, with the machinery-of-government changes, moved across to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. They are good people, good public servants who have worked very hard to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this nation. They are dedicated to that mission and are feeling totally devalued by the internal machinations that have been going on.

I asked the minister how many people had taken redundancies. It has been quoted as 236. I asked the minister how many there had been. It will be in that folder, Senator Scullion, that you bring into question time. That is the folder that has the answers to questions that might turn up. If you open that folder and read the index, you might find the answer. I look forward to the moment when you come back into this place and tell us whether it is 236 people who have taken redundancies. That tells you something, though. It is said that 236 people have taken redundancies from this government. Whenever redundancies are offered, yes, there will certainly be people who want to take them. But the stories that I am hearing in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia are that people are so frustrated with what is occurring that they are giving up, moving on and finding some other way to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve better outcomes for them.

I asked the minister whether morale was still at an all-time high, and he confirmed that he thought the morale in the department was fantastic. But in TheCanberra Times article of 12 September, the circumstances described do not match up with the minister's statement about 'all-time-high morale'. The article actually quotes his own department. It said:

The department admits that things are "difficult" but says it is working "towards building a cohesive department" after forced mergers saw it try to absorb an extra 1800 public servants.

The minister says: 'Everything is hunky-dory. Morale is at an all-time high.' Yet, even the department, when questioned by the media, are confirming that things are difficult. The departmental sources say that work is going on against a background of upheaval and disruption after several restructures and 236 redundancies, with senior executives and middle managers distracted by having to apply for their own jobs. The PM&C spokesperson said:

Change of this magnitude is always difficult, and we are continuing to work towards building a cohesive department … The effect of the efficiency dividend and the streamlined programme structure has seen a reduction of staff.

It is inconceivable that the minister could come into this place and flippantly say that everything is going fine and terrific when we know, not just from reading The Canberra Times but from the constituents and departmental staff in our communities, that things are not good. These are staff who want to work for the government of the day. They are good public servants. They are used to change. They can cope with change—but not like this. They are saying that we need to sheet this devaluing of their circumstances to the minister. (Time expired)