❓ Hon. Neil Thomson questions the increase in highly paid public servants despite a commitment to reduce the senior public service. The Minister responds by highlighting the achievement of the initial reduction target and the implementation of an executive salary expenditure limit.
AnsweredQoN 366Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR — SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE —
SALARIES
366. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Public Sector Management:
I
refer to the percentage of public servants employed on salaries of the Public
Sector CSA Agreement class 1 and above listed in the public sector
five-year comparison, which is available online through the state of Western Australian
government workforce statistical bulletins. I note that in 2022–23, 2.3
per cent of the 127 521 public servants received a salary of class 1 and above;
and in 2016–17, 1.9 per cent of 110 662 public servants received a salary
of class 1 and above.
(1) Given the
government's 2017 election commitment to reduce the senior public
service by 20 per cent, how does the government reconcile a 39 per cent
increase in the number of highly paid public servants since coming to office in
2017?
(2) Why has
this growth occurred?
(3) Has the
government reviewed the effectiveness of the machinery-of-government reforms?
SALARIES
366. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Public Sector Management:
I
refer to the percentage of public servants employed on salaries of the Public
Sector CSA Agreement class 1 and above listed in the public sector
five-year comparison, which is available online through the state of Western Australian
government workforce statistical bulletins. I note that in 2022–23, 2.3
per cent of the 127 521 public servants received a salary of class 1 and above;
and in 2016–17, 1.9 per cent of 110 662 public servants received a salary
of class 1 and above.
(1) Given the
government's 2017 election commitment to reduce the senior public
service by 20 per cent, how does the government reconcile a 39 per cent
increase in the number of highly paid public servants since coming to office in
2017?
(2) Why has
this growth occurred?
(3) Has the
government reviewed the effectiveness of the machinery-of-government reforms?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The government's election commitment to
reduce the size of the senior executive service by 20 per cent was met
in 2018. The executive salary expenditure limit, which the government
introduced in December 2021, limits spending on SES officers and other
management executives at 0.9 per cent of the total salaries expenditure for the
sector. Agencies are managing their operational requirements within the limit,
and the sector overall remains well below the limit, with the percentage for
2023–24 being 0.72 per cent. In 2017, under the Liberals and Nationals,
the executive salary expenditure limit would have been 1.4 per cent of the
total salary cost, rather than the 0.9 per cent set by government.
(3) The
machinery-of-government reforms established a framework for greater
collaboration across the public sector to improve the delivery of services to
the community and drive operational efficiency. The changes were a starting
point for ongoing cultural change within the sector, delivering
multimillion-dollar cost savings across government to assist with budget repair
and reverse the growth in the fragmentation of the public sector.
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The government's election commitment to
reduce the size of the senior executive service by 20 per cent was met
in 2018. The executive salary expenditure limit, which the government
introduced in December 2021, limits spending on SES officers and other
management executives at 0.9 per cent of the total salaries expenditure for the
sector. Agencies are managing their operational requirements within the limit,
and the sector overall remains well below the limit, with the percentage for
2023–24 being 0.72 per cent. In 2017, under the Liberals and Nationals,
the executive salary expenditure limit would have been 1.4 per cent of the
total salary cost, rather than the 0.9 per cent set by government.
(3) The
machinery-of-government reforms established a framework for greater
collaboration across the public sector to improve the delivery of services to
the community and drive operational efficiency. The changes were a starting
point for ongoing cultural change within the sector, delivering
multimillion-dollar cost savings across government to assist with budget repair
and reverse the growth in the fragmentation of the public sector.
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