As Assistant Minister for the Public Service, the State of the Service Roadshow is one of the highlights of my year. It captures a small slice of the big effort all of you put in year after year to serve all Australians. An innovative, professional and inclusive APS is vital to how we deliver services Australians can rely on every day. And delivery happens because of you.
Time and time again, you show up. You take government commitments and make them work in practice. Supporting the transition to net zero. Strengthening Australia’s defence and business capability. Delivering improvement to essential services like Medicare, free TAFE and emergency services. None of this happens without the APS at the centre of delivery.
I was thrilled to be at the Roadshows in Adelaide and Brisbane earlier this week to meet many staff in person. And I am excited to connect virtually with many more of our 198,000-strong workforce.
Early internet days
Online gatherings, like this, are now commonplace with the help of high-speed internet and satellite technology. It is how you come together. Not so in the era of early digital infrastructure.
Imagine it is 1989. Weekend plans were lining up to Kylie Minogue in The Delinquents. Fashion was loud, with acid-wash jeans and oversized jumpers.
This was the year Australia joined the global internet with a connection made by the University of Melbourne and the University of Hawaii. It was a slow start, but would eventually herald the sound of screeching dial up internet.
At first, network capacity was limited to very small volumes of information. Back then, it was not photos, videos, or streaming. It was short text messages or computer instructions saying, “I’m here” or “did you get this?” By 1995, the Australian public finally joined.
In 2013 myGov was launched. Australians can now access everyday Government services remotely. From making a Medicare claim to checking their super balance or filling out their tax return. And this week Australian Government was ranked second in the world for digital government. Further, we ranked first for “user-driven” digital services.
Medicare shows how far we have come
Medicare is now 42 years strong.
Australia has transformed from queuing at the Medicare counter to lodge paper forms, staff using fax machines and Australia Post. Today’s online claims happen where and when people need them. Built into your doctor’s digital systems.
Last financial year alone, Medicare delivered 480.6 million claims to more than 27.5 million Australians. That is over 480 million moments of care, reassurance, and support from you.
Among those who have been part of this journey is Neil. Over forty years ago, on Monday the 16th of January 1984, Neil started with Medicare. Today, he is a team leader at Services Australia Caboolture Service Centre.
He reflects on his journey:
‘I still to this day feel an immense sense of pride being part of a truly wonderful national health system. I’m proud to have been here from the beginning, and of the small part I play in serving our customers'.
Neil’s story is a reminder of the people behind the services - the dedication, the care, the commitment.
Evolution of AI
So now, where are we heading?
I grew up watching Round the Twist. But even the creativity of Paul Jennings didn’t predict the world of AI.
Our job as a government is to remove the barriers that stifle innovation and ensure the APS is keeping pace with AI adoption. To do this right, we need the right skills in the APS. We need to remove blockers and restrictions so agencies can explore their own pathways to use AI.
The Service is being guided by a new AI Plan for the APS. This was launched last November by the Minister for the Public Service, Senator Katy Gallagher. We want to give you the tools you need to embrace the technology, such as GovAI and Microsoft Co-Pilot. For many agencies, AI is already business as usual.
Home Affairs is using AI to target criminals trying to import drugs into Australia. Twenty-five tonnes of drugs were seized in 2025, in no small part thanks to AI advancements.
Professional APS careers
We are also working to professionalise the Service. If you are part of the APS Professions program, you will have access to expert support, guidance for your career transitions, and help building a rewarding career. The original Digital, Data, and HR professions laid a strong foundation for the skills we need across the APS. Both now and for what is next.
Last year, we added new streams in
- Procurement and Contract Management,
- Evaluation, and
- Complex Project Management.
Today you’ll get to hear from Ruth Nicholls in the panel discussion who has been part of the evolution of the Evaluations profession.
The APS at its core is a Service of people. People like you across Australia.
Inclusive APS
Thankfully today, the APS more closely represents Australia and its people. A vibrant multicultural nation. APS staff coming from all states and territories, cities, and rural and remote locations across Australia.
Of all APS staff:
- 26.8 per cent were from a culturally and linguistically diverse background
- 3.4 per cent were First Nations
- 5.8 per cent were Employees with disability
Across the APS, the data looks reasonably sound. But it doesn’t paint the full picture.
Diversity in senior APS leadership still lags the Australian population. We must lift our game.
Last year we hit a milestone for APS First Nations leadership. Thanks to the success of the SES100 initiative, a key part of Australia's Closing the Gap strategy to embed First Nations voices into senior decision-making. First Nations SES more than doubled to 111 senior leaders, up from 54 in 2023. A great achievement, more than 50 years in the making.
In 1973, the late Dr Charles Perkins AO, the renowned Aboriginal leader and activist became the first Indigenous member of the public service executive. He was appointed head of the Liaison and Consultation Branch in the newly created Department of Aboriginal Affairs. It was six years after Australians voted overwhelmingly to change the Constitution so First Nations People could be recognised as part of the Australian population. Dr Perkins continued his firsts when he went on to become the Secretary of the Department in 1984. I am glad to now sit in a Parliamentary chamber that, after the 2025 election, looks a lot more like any street of any Australian capital city.
Conclusion
To conclude. AI CAN transform the way we work in the APS. But enduring change that embraces difference and with ethics, integrity and stewardship at its core will come from our people. The APS shows what is possible when innovation, professionalism and inclusion come together to deliver for all Australians.
Today, I encourage you to be proud of your contribution to Australia. And share my excitement for our ability to work together to meet the many challenges facing Australia.
Thank you.