❓ Dr. Steve Thomas questions the Premier regarding the savings and costs associated with the McGowan government's voluntary separation scheme for public servants, as well as public sector employment numbers and wages. The Premier provides some information and refers to publicly available reports.
AnsweredQoN 347Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SERVANTS — VOLUNTARY SEPARATION SCHEME
347. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
(1) What have been
the audited and identifiable savings to the state of Western Australia for each
financial year from 2017–18 to 2020–21 inclusive, delivered by
the McGowan government's targeted voluntary separation scheme
implemented on 1 July 2017?
(2) What have the associated financial costs of
implementing the scheme been for each of those financial years?
(3) How many WA state public servants, full-time,
part-time and casual, were employed by the state on 1 July 2017–18,
2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21?
(4) What was the wages bill for WA public servants for
each of the financial years from 2017–18 to 2020–21 inclusive?
347. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
(1) What have been
the audited and identifiable savings to the state of Western Australia for each
financial year from 2017–18 to 2020–21 inclusive, delivered by
the McGowan government's targeted voluntary separation scheme
implemented on 1 July 2017?
(2) What have the associated financial costs of
implementing the scheme been for each of those financial years?
(3) How many WA state public servants, full-time,
part-time and casual, were employed by the state on 1 July 2017–18,
2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21?
(4) What was the wages bill for WA public servants for
each of the financial years from 2017–18 to 2020–21 inclusive?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) This
has been explained to the honourable member on multiple previous occasions.
After allowing for separation costs and
savings retained by agencies, the net savings from the commencement of the
voluntary targeted separation scheme from mid-2017 to 30 June 2020 are
estimated to total $60 million. This is because
the separation costs are front-loaded. The scheme is on track to achieve net
savings of $524 million by 2022–23 as savings occur after
separations have been paid.
(3) The Public
Sector Commission collects and reports workforce data from public sector
agencies. This information is published quarterly, with the annual average
tabled in Parliament each year in the State of the WA government sector
workforce report. For the convenience of the honourable member, I seek
leave to have the information incorporated into Hansard . This part of
the answer is in tabular form.
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Annual
Average
Public
Sector FTE
2016–17
109,171
2017–18
110,155
2018–19
110,972
2019–20
114,734
2020–21
119,273
Over the past five years, from 2016
to 2021, more than 90 per cent of the net increase in public sector headcount has been driven by growth in three
service delivery areas. WA Health is 49.9 per cent of the total increase; the Department of Education, 34.1 per cent of the total increase; and
the Department of Justice, 9.6 per cent of the increase.
(4) This
information is published each year in the Annual report on state finances that is tabled in Parliament. For the convenience of the honourable member, I seek
leave to have the below information, which is again in tabular form,
incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Financial
Year
Public
Sector Wages and Superannuation ($m)
2017–18
14,779
2018–19
14,480
2019–20
15,532
2020–21
18,190
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) This
has been explained to the honourable member on multiple previous occasions.
After allowing for separation costs and
savings retained by agencies, the net savings from the commencement of the
voluntary targeted separation scheme from mid-2017 to 30 June 2020 are
estimated to total $60 million. This is because
the separation costs are front-loaded. The scheme is on track to achieve net
savings of $524 million by 2022–23 as savings occur after
separations have been paid.
(3) The Public
Sector Commission collects and reports workforce data from public sector
agencies. This information is published quarterly, with the annual average
tabled in Parliament each year in the State of the WA government sector
workforce report. For the convenience of the honourable member, I seek
leave to have the information incorporated into Hansard . This part of
the answer is in tabular form.
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Annual
Average
Public
Sector FTE
2016–17
109,171
2017–18
110,155
2018–19
110,972
2019–20
114,734
2020–21
119,273
Over the past five years, from 2016
to 2021, more than 90 per cent of the net increase in public sector headcount has been driven by growth in three
service delivery areas. WA Health is 49.9 per cent of the total increase; the Department of Education, 34.1 per cent of the total increase; and
the Department of Justice, 9.6 per cent of the increase.
(4) This
information is published each year in the Annual report on state finances that is tabled in Parliament. For the convenience of the honourable member, I seek
leave to have the below information, which is again in tabular form,
incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Financial
Year
Public
Sector Wages and Superannuation ($m)
2017–18
14,779
2018–19
14,480
2019–20
15,532
2020–21
18,190
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