It may seem boring but it is the case that roughly half of the Australian Public Service is currently engaged in negotiations over new workplace agreements. The Department of Human Service, ATO and Defence (about half the APS – or about 75k punters) have voted down agreements in the last 3 months, the latter joining them today. Add Border Farce which has also gone strike today.
Going to an election with large slabs (the majority) of the APS in a bargaining period means there is tremendous scope for having Ministers (or PM’s) announcing policy and policy changes etc to be fried by journalists asking questions who have been briefed on aspects of policy by disgruntled APS types.
Think questions on:
