One Nation leader Pauline Hanson laments exploding public sector reaching record levels under Albanese government
The federal public service has expanded to record levels under Labor, despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging to bolster lagging productivity growth.
New Australian Public Service (APS) data has revealed the federal bureaucracy is set to balloon to a record-breaking 213,000 staff, up from a 14-year low of 144,704 workers at the end of 2019.
A considerable number of the growing workforce is made of up compliance, regulation, administrative, and human resources officers tasked with supervising the mammoth public service.
The compliance category, which makes up HR, policy and regulation employees experienced the steepest bump, surging by more than 41,000 workers over five years to December 2024.
'They're actually making our life worse,' Senator Hanson told Sky News on Thursday.
'You put in more public servants, that means more taxpayers' money has to pay the wages and then on top of that you've got all superannuation on top and then all your benefits and everything.'
Senator Hanson said the expanded public service was a 'drain' of taxpayers' dollars.
'Albanese has also increased (the public service) because public servants will vote for Labor because they've got a job for life and they're just going to not sack them,' she added.
Mr Albanese made the topic of the federal bureaucracy a central talking point in the recent election and defended his government's hiring spree while criticising former opposition leader Peter Dutton's plan to cull over 41,000 civil servants in the nation's capital.
Senator Hanson said the Liberal Party backing away from the policy to crack down on working from home was a 'big mistake'.
'They should have followed through on that,' she said.
Despite Mr Albanese vowing to lift lagging productivity and reduce the workforce's dependency on government support, Australian Bureau of Statistics data released last week showed that the almost one million workers were employed in federal, state, territory, and local government positions.
This makes up 6.8 per cent of the Australian workforce.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
7 minutes ago
- Herald Sun
IPO Watch: GemLife kicks off with a $750m bang in biggest ASX IPO of the year
IPO market begins to show signs of life as ASIC cuts red tape GemLife hits ASX with $1.6b luxury retirement splash GLF tops Virgin with biggest Aussie float of 2025 For the last couple of years, the Australian IPO market has been on a sabbatical. But now, the country's regulators are rolling out the red carpet, or at least tugging at the red tape, to make the path to public life a little easier. In June, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) kicked off a trial to streamline the IPO process. The plan is to cut a week off the traditional 20-week timeline by reviewing offer documents earlier, and reducing the back-and-forth that tends to slow things down. It's only open to companies worth over $100 million, but the message is clear: Australia wants more listings, and it's willing to loosen its collar to get them. From trailer parks to luxury resorts Just days after Virgin Australia's (ASX:VGN) long-awaited return to the ASX, another float is taking centre stage, this time from the world of luxury over-50s living. On Thursday, GemLife Communities Group (ASX:GLF) officially made its debut on the ASX, becoming the latest major player to test investor appetite in a warming IPO market. The stock opened at $5, a 20% premium to its $4.16 offer price, before easing back to around $4.40 by 3pm, still delivering a solid first-day gain. Founded in 2016, GemLife has grown fast. What started as a joint venture between the Puljich family and Singapore-listed Thakral Corp is now a $1.6 billion business, with a portfolio of resort-style communities built for Australians aged 50 and over. In fact, the story stretches back even further. GemLife CEO Adrian Puljich is carrying on the legacy of his father, Peter Puljich, who arrived in Australia in 1968 from Croatia and later transformed a caravan park on the Gold Coast into a high-end retirement community. 'We are a founder‑led pioneer business,' Adrian Puljich told Bloomberg. 'What makes us so unique is the fact that we build our own product. 'Every single touch point in the life cycle of GemLife Communities is dealt with by the GemLife builder.' That vertical integration, from land acquisition to construction and community operations, is a big part of the group's pitch to investors. All the tailwinds behind it GemLife is at the luxury end of the land‑lease community sector. Residents buy their home (usually prefab‑style), lease the land it sits on, and pay weekly fees of $230–$250 for access to top‑tier amenities. This includes country clubs, cinemas, bowling alleys, pools, pickleball courts, you name it. With properties spread across Queensland, NSW, and Victoria – from Pimpama on the Gold Coast to Woodend in Victoria's Macedon Ranges – GemLife has grown into one of the country's largest operators in this space. The IPO will help fund the $270 million acquisition of eight new projects from a company wholly owned by Adrian Puljich, growing the pipeline to 32 communities and nearly 10,000 homes. It's a big swing, but one that's riding a wave of tailwinds. Australia's population is ageing, home prices are stubbornly high, and many older Australians are looking to downsize without downgrading. That makes land‑lease communities a clever halfway point. According to Colliers, the land‑lease sector is tipped to grow 5% to 7% annually over the next five years, helped by both demand and new developments. Biggest listing so far this year GemLife's float was structured as a stapled security, a common setup in Australia where two or more securities trade together. The IPO raised $750 million, edging out Virgin's $685 million float, and making GLF the largest ASX IPO so far this year. After listing, Adrian Puljich holds about 17.6%, Thakral Capital 16.7%, and Peter Puljich 8.8%. It's a hefty debut in what's been a subdued IPO market. According to the ASX, total Australian IPO proceeds this year were sitting below $150 million prior to Virgin and GemLife's listings. That puts GemLife in rarefied company, and alongside two listed peers in the over‑50s living space – Lifestyle Communities (ASX:LIC) valued at around $870 million, and Ingenia Communities Group (ASX:INA), sitting closer to $2.3 billion. 'Encouraging older Australians to downsize also contributes positively to the broader property market, opening much‑needed family‑sized housing for younger buyers,' said Puljich. Originally published as IPO Watch: GemLife kicks off with a $750m bang in biggest ASX IPO of the year
The Advertiser
17 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
'We're here': Australia joins the race for US academics
Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists." Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists." Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists." Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists."
7NEWS
20 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Aussies rush to shop 60 per cent off Smilie teeth whitening sale: The dentist-approved kit transforming smiles
Australian dentist-approved teeth whitening brand, Smilie, is transforming Aussies' smiles at a rapid rate. If you're wanting a whiter, brighter smile for an affordable price now is the time to try Smilie because it's currently having a huge 60 per cent off sale to celebrate its fourth birthday. Smilie isn't just another teeth whitening product — it's a confidence booster. Smilie was founded by Natalie Wiltshire and award-winning dentist Dr. Daniel Tankard. The inspiration for Smilie came from Natalie's personal experience with the high cost of in-chair teeth whitening treatments. After seeing how expensive and inaccessible professional teeth whitening could be, Natalie was determined to find a more affordable solution that didn't compromise on quality. Backed by 15 years of research and developed by a team of over 70 dental professionals, Smilie is a teeth-whitening brand you can trust. The brand has helped whiten millions of teeth, garnered numerous prestigious awards, and accumulated a multitude of five-star reviews from happy customers of all ages. Smilie's Boost Teeth Whitening Kit, usually $219 is now reduced to $119 and has a 5-star rating on Smilie's website. 'Couldn't be happier with my results, ' one impressed shopper wrote. 'I have been using this whitening kit for seven days now and already see a difference,' another shopper added. ' Works so quickly and doesn't give me any discomfort,' a third reviewer wrote. Smilie's Boost Teeth Whitening Kit includes: To help you shop Smilie's incredible range of teeth whitening products, we've compiled a list of the best sellers currently on sale. below. Smilie's bestsellers on sale
