Ministerial message

The Australian Public Service (APS) is a critical national public institution.

To be the best it can be, the APS needs to reflect the community it serves. It needs to demonstrate it is a model employer by setting the national standard for equity, inclusion and diversity.

To represent the Australian community, the APS needs to attract talent from across the full breadth of Australia’s diverse population. The social and economic benefits for embracing all of Australia’s cultural, racial and linguistic diversity are clear. Being a model employer means ensuring the APS provides an environment that enables and empowers all employees to contribute to the work of government. The APS must offer a welcoming and safe workplace where different perspectives are valued and respected.

The APS is fortunate in having rich cultural, linguistic and racial diversity. Yet this diversity is not mirrored in senior ranks. The APS needs to ensure its senior leadership also reflects the broader Australian population. This is not only a case for equity, but also for productivity. Ultimately everything the APS does is for the purpose of advising government and serving the Australian community. A critical factor in developing advice and delivering services is having diversity of ideas. Cultural diversity is critical for cognitive diversity, which enhances understanding in service delivery, creativity in problem solving and judgement in decision-making. Currently the APS is not accessing the full range of skills and experience from the Australian community.

This strategy acknowledges that the APS does not make full use of the knowledge and experience of all employees. Analysis shows that there are significant limitations on advancement, and challenges to CALD employees making a full contribution. These challenges include the impacts of discrimination and racism.

This is the first APS Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Employment Strategy for the APS. Thank you to all who have contributed to this important Strategy. We are committed to the Action Plan, which has 5 headline actions. The Secretaries Board has committed to these actions to drive and sustain the changes that are needed. The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) will support agencies to implement, monitor and report on progress to ensure transparency and accountability. This is a call to action for all APS employees to be inclusive leaders who embrace the wealth of cultural, racial and linguistic diversity within. This will strengthen capability and deliver on government priorities for the Australian community.