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The federal government pays consultants nearly $6,000 a day to advise the Department of Agriculture on biosecurity reforms – work Labor says officials could do for thousands less. Opposition Public Service spokeswoman and ACT Senator Katy Gallagher says a $1.2million contract with PriceWaterhouseCoopers shows the government is spending recklessly to outsource the work in the private sector. The consultancy has won a three-month contract to help the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Environment develop its roadmap for the Future Frontier 2030, part of the $500 million public spending on reforms, including biosafety. Daily costs per worker vary between $1,800 and $5,800 to deliver ‘change and transformation’, ‘marketing, communications and engagement’ and ‘strategy and policy’. Labor says the work could and should be done by departmental officials for just $226 to $420 per person per day, but the government’s staffing cap forces departments to outsource the work. For the cost of 3,124 man-hours from a major consultancy, the Department of Agriculture could have hired around six current APS6s and six current EL1s to carry out work for an entire year, Labor said. READ MORE: Senator Gallagher says the government is wasting money by relying on outsourcing the civil service because of its staffing cap. “Most Australians would be shocked to learn that Scott Morrison allows the outsourcing of civil service jobs at a rate of up to $5,000 a day, all because he is stubbornly not backing down from his policy. headcount restrictions,” she said. “Australians work hard for their money, and this is just one example of how Scott Morrison just wastes it, and clearly not on their end.” A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture said contractors had been engaged to help deliver a large program of work and also to provide new expertise in areas where it either does not exist or needs strengthening. “These partnerships not only help bring about the critical changes, but provide important capacity building and skills transfer to staff more broadly,” the spokesperson said. “The labor market is highly competitive, which is why the department uses a range of employment mechanisms to fill vacancies, including the use of contractors, to carry out its work. Entrepreneurs are an essential part of our mixed workforce. “They complement our permanent workforce with additional capability and capacity to enable the department to achieve its goals. “The government has allocated $500 million for a broad reform program, including biosecurity, with several budget measures funding a temporary workforce, the department said. latest community news. Here’s how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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The federal government pays consultants nearly $6,000 a day to advise the Department of Agriculture on biosecurity reforms – work Labor says officials could do for thousands less.
Opposition Public Service spokeswoman and ACT Senator Katy Gallagher says a $1.2million contract with PriceWaterhouseCoopers shows the government is spending recklessly to outsource the work in the private sector.
The consultancy has won a three-month contract to help the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Environment develop its roadmap for the Future Frontier 2030, part of the $500 million public spending on reforms, including biosafety.
Daily costs per worker vary between $1,800 and $5,800 to deliver ‘change and transformation’, ‘marketing, communications and engagement’ and ‘strategy and policy’.
Labor says the work could and should be done by departmental officials for just $226 to $420 per person per day, but the government’s staffing cap forces departments to outsource the work.
For the cost of 3,124 man-hours from a major consultancy, the Department of Agriculture could have hired around six current APS6s and six current EL1s to carry out work for an entire year, Labor said.
Senator Gallagher said the government was wasting money by relying on outsourcing the civil service because of its staffing cap.
“Most Australians would be shocked to learn that Scott Morrison allows the outsourcing of civil service jobs at a rate of up to $5,000 a day, all because he is stubbornly not backing down from his policy. headcount restrictions,” she said.
“Australians work hard for their money, and this is just one example of how Scott Morrison just wastes it, and clearly not on their end.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture said contractors had been engaged to help deliver a large program of work and also to provide new expertise in areas where it either does not exist or needs strengthening.
“These partnerships not only help bring about the critical changes, but provide important capacity building and skills transfer to staff more broadly,” the spokesperson said.
“The labor market is highly competitive, which is why the department uses a range of employment mechanisms to fill vacancies, including the use of contractors, to carry out its work. Contractors are an essential part of our mixed workforce.
“They supplement our permanent workforce with additional capabilities and abilities to enable the department to achieve its goals.”
The government has allocated $500 million for a wide-ranging reform program, including biosafety, with several budget measures funding a temporary workforce, the ministry said.
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