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Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Page: 268

Attorney-General, Home Affairs and Justice: Staffing

(Question Nos 1127, 1136 and 1137)

Senator Humphries asked the Minister representing the Attorney-General, and the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice, upon notice, on 12 September 2011:

(1) Have staffing numbers in agencies within the Minister's portfolio been reduced as a result of the efficiency dividend and/or other budget cuts; if so, in which areas and at what classification.

(2) Are there any plans for staff reduction in agencies within the Minister's portfolio; if so, can details be provided i.e. reduction target, how this will be achieved, services/programs to be cut etc.

(3) What changes are underway or planned for graduate recruitment, cadetships or similar programs, and if reductions are envisaged can details be provided, including reasons, target numbers etc.

Senator Ludwig: The Attorney-General has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

For the purpose of answering the question, staffing is measured by Average Staffing Levels (ASL). As a Government Business Enterprise, the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) operates on a commercial and competitive basis and does not receive any parliamentary appropriations and is not subject to the efficiency dividend.

(1) The following agencies have not had their budgeted ASL reduced as a result of the efficiency dividend and/or other budget changes: Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, Australian Human Rights Commission, Australian Law Reform Commission, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, CrimTrac, Federal Court of Australia, Copyright Tribunal of Australia, Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal, Federal Magistrates Court of Australia, Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

As identified in the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statements the Attorney-General's Department and the following agencies have had reductions in budgeted ASL as a result of the efficiency dividend and/or other budget changes: Australian Crime Commission, Australian Federal Police, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Family Court of Australia, High Court of Australia, and the National Native Title Tribunal.

The budgeted reductions are anticipated to be across a broad range of the portfolio's functions, areas and classifications in response to Government priorities over the forward estimates.

(2) The following agencies do not have planned staff reductions: Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, Australian Human Rights Commission, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australian Law Reform Commission, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, CrimTrac, Federal Magistrates Court of Australia, High Court of Australia, Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Attorney-General's Department

The Department operates within budget and deploys employees between programs in response to Government priorities. In the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statements, the Department has forecast a reduction of 25 ASL, of which 21 ASL are directly related to changes in funding received for New Policy Proposals and four relate to a general reduction in staff numbers.

Australian Crime Commission

As outlined in the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statements, the ACC is planning to reduce its staffing levels by an approximate 25 ASL. The ACC will manage this reduction through voluntary redundancies, natural attrition and the expiry of non-ongoing contracts. Measures are in place to ensure that priority areas of the ACC are allocated the resources required to perform their functions.

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service

As outlined in the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statement the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is planning a reduction in the average staffing level (ASL) of 90. The majority of staffing reductions will occur in the Passengers Division with average ASL levels being reduced by 87 over four years. There will also be a small number of other staff reductions across the agency. This reduction will be managed through natural attrition and adjustments to recruitment programs.

Australian Federal Police

As stated in the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statement the AFP is anticipating a reduction of 72 ASL. The organisation has reduced its Full Time Equivalent (FTE) during the 2011-12 financial year due to natural attrition, retirements and voluntary redundancies. The voluntary redundancy program is part of a normal workforce management program for the organisation. The AFP will continue to exercise financial restraint.

As part of the Government's commitment to increase the number of sworn investigators by an additional 500, the AFP forecast an increase of 62 sworn investigators in the current financial year would bring the total increase under this initiative to 340.

Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre

Yes. AUSTRAC is planning to reduce its staffing numbers. The number will be determined in light of the outcomes of other savings measures. This reduction will primarily be achieved through natural attrition and workforce planning strategies. Progress will be monitored throughout the year and other measures will be considered should the required reduction target not be met.

Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions

There are plans for further reductions. Staffing number reductions will be achieved across the broad range of office functions rather than in relation to specific areas, classifications, services or programs. As stated in the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statements the staffing levels expected for the out years are

(a) 2011-12 anticipated ASL 513;

(b) 2012-13 anticipated ASL 508;

(c) 2013-14 anticipated ASL 496;

(d) 2014-15 anticipated ASL 494.

Family Court of Australia

As outlined in the 2011-12 Portfolio Budget Statements, the Family Court of Australia is planning to reduce its staffing levels by an approximate 25 ASL. Staffing reductions in the Court will be managed in accordance with the Commonwealth's redeployment principles which give a high priority to redeploying excess employees across the APS and stress that compulsory retrenchment should be avoided.

Federal Court of Australia, Copyright Tribunal of Australia and Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal

There will be a need for further staff reductions but there are no plans at this stage on how these will be achieved.

National Native Title Tribunal

There are plans for further reductions. The staffing levels expected for the out years are

(a) 2011-12 anticipated ASL 154;

(b) 2012-13 anticipated ASL 150;

(c) 2013-14 anticipated ASL 145.

(d) 2014-15 anticipated ASL is expected to plateau at 145.

The reduction in staffing will be achieved through implementing the Tribunal's Workforce Plan 2011-14, produced in August 2011. Measures to date include the following decisions:

to merge three sections (Legal, Research and Library) into one section, as at 26 September 2011, and associated involuntary redundancies;

to further reduce staffing levels in Finance and Human Resources;

continuing to further reduce staff numbers, through natural attrition wherever possible.

(3) There are no planned changes across the portfolio to graduate recruitment, cadetships or similar programs with the following exceptions:

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service

The Graduate Development Program is anticipated to increase by 19 participants for the calendar year 2012.

A small increase in numbers for the National Trainee Training Program is anticipated for the calendar year 2012.

The Indigenous Graduate Program is anticipated to decrease by one participant for the calendar year 2012.

National Native Title Tribunal

As part of its Indigenous Employment Strategy, the Tribunal hopes to be able to offer a cadetship, traineeship or internship to an Indigenous employee each year.