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Since coming to power, Labor has increased the Australian Public Service (APS) headcount by 24%, to more than 213,000 staff.
The government argues the increase is necessary to reduce reliance on consultants and contractors.
The federal government had forecast in its March 2025 budget that the public service wages bill would remain steady at about $30 billion annually over the next four years.
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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness.
Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.