Senate debates

Monday, 22 August 2011

Questions on Notice

Defence: Strategic Reform Program (Question No. 749)

Photo of David JohnstonDavid Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 5 July 2011:

With reference to the White Paper and the Strategic Reform Program (SRP) 'Indicative Workforce Implications – Civilian Workforce': For the period 1 January to 30 June 2011, how many Australian Public Service staff or contractors, including full-time and part-time, were employed on White Paper/SRP initiatives.

Photo of Chris EvansChris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

The Government provisioned an additional 1,332 civilian personnel (in Defence and the Defence Materiel Organisation, including Australian Public Service staff and contractors) for 2010-11 under the White Paper, as reflected in the publication The Strategic Reform Program: Making It Happen.

When staff savings resulting from the Strategic Reform Program (SRP) are accounted for, the net White Paper/SRP total reflected in The Strategic Reform Program: Making It Happen reduces to 1,187. Increases in the targets for efficiency savings since publication mean that the net White Paper/SRP civilian staffing total for 2010-11 was 938.

The workforce data detailed in The Strategic Reform Program: Making It Happen are based on approved allocations at the time of publication and reflect full-time equivalent average numbers. Using the full-time equivalent (FTE) approach, Defence counts full-time and part-time service as one overall quantity.