FINANCE Minister Matthias Cormann has announced a fifth round of the Smaller Government Reform agenda, better known to Canberrans as public service job cuts.
Attorney-General’s and Immigration have been flagged for steep cuts and functional reviews announced for a range of Departments including:
- The Department of Agriculture;
- The Department of the Environment;
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade;
- The Department of the Treasury;
- The Attorney-General’s Department;
- The Australian Taxation Office;
- The Department of Social Services; and
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics
Other decisions announced today include:
- Australian Rail Track Corporation
The Government will undertake a scoping study in 2015-16 on options for the future management, operations and ownership of the Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd.
Recommendations from this study will be considered as part of the 2016-17 Budget process. - Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) registry services
The Government will undertake a competitive tender process to test the market on the capacity of a private operator to upgrade and operate the ASIC registry.
The Government will maintain ownership of the base data. - Defence Housing Australia
The Government will not proceed with a sale of Defence Housing Australia at this time. However, the Government will review Defence Housing Australia’s accounting, information technology and business reporting systems to improve the transparency of the cost of providing services.
There will be no change to the entitlements of Australian Defence Force members. - Australian Hearing
The Government will consult further with hearing impaired Australians, their families and other key stakeholders before making a decision on ownership options for Australian Hearing. Also see the Minister’s media release of 8 May 2015. - Intra Government Communications Network
The scoping study on the future ownership of Intra Government Communications Network is underway. The Government will consider the recommendations of the scoping study later in 2015. - Future Arrangements for the Royal Australian Mint
The Royal Australian Mint will be retained in Government ownership in its current form, because it is operating as an effective business and it is well-regarded by its international peers.Who can be trusted?
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