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What are Public Services?
The public services sector assists all members of our society. Provision of public services is a core responsibility of government. This is crucial in sustaining social order and reducing the disadvantage of marginalised communities. Without this investment, poor areas become even poorer and people in distress have no access to life saving help.
One important way democratic socialist countries work towards equality of opportunity, is by the state provision of high quality public services.
Any consideration of how public services help people should start with income support. After all, state welfare benefits are the first and most obvious way the state helps those in need. However, people benefit greatly from a whole range of services offered by the public services sector.
In Australia, the services provided by local, state and the national government are all by definition ‘public services’.
Private Sector
The private sector includes all organizations and businesses owned and operated by individuals, groups, or shareholders for profit. Unlike the government-run public sector, private sector entities are not funded by government and include a wide range of businesses, from small companies to large multinational corporations. Their main purpose is to generate profit for their owners or shareholders.
Public Services Examples
The public service sector refers to the part of the economy that is controlled and funded by the government. This area is responsible for providing services that are considered essential for the well-being of the public and are typically funded by taxation.
Public Health, Housing and Education
There can be no doubt the public services sector help people in their desire for a better life. Public health is one of the most vital services for all people, but especially the poor. Quality public health services are important for people to avoid ingrained disadvantage and suffering. Such disadvantage is disproportionately experienced by groups such as refugees, people with a disability and the elderly.
Housing is another essential service. It is hard to improve your education or obtain employment without a roof over your head. Accordingly, the provision of public housing is essential for poor people to have a better quality of life, especially people with disabilities and the elderly.
Public Education is another crucial service to help disadvantaged and marginalised groups in any community. In modern society, a good education is a must when it comes to improving one’s lot in life. State education to which everyone has access is vital to help the poor take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
Some of the other badly needed services that help poor people include public transport, public recreation spaces and publicly funded income support. Indeed, certain groups such as refugees, the elderly or people with a disability, may require niche services that are not universal in nature.
10 Important Public Services
In Australia, the most important public services by expenditure are typically those that receive the largest portions of federal, state, and local government budgets. Here are the 10 most significant, based on current government budget allocations:
- 10 – Environment & Energy
Includes climate initiatives, renewable energy projects, and conservation programs. - 9 – Justice & Legal Services
Courts, prisons, legal aid, and corrective services. - 8 – Housing & Community Amenities
Public housing, homelessness support, and urban development. - 7 – Police & Emergency Services
State police, fire services (e.g., NSW RFS, CFA), and ambulance services. - 6 – Public Transport & Infrastructure
Roads, railways, and major projects (e.g., Metro systems, highway upgrades).
5 Important Public Services
- 5 – Aged Care & Seniors’ Services
Subsidised aged care facilities and home care packages. - 4 – Defence
Military operations, AUKUS submarine program, and personnel costs. - 3 – Education (Schools & Universities)
Public schools, TAFE, and university funding (HECS-HELP subsidies). - 2 – Social Security & Welfare
Age Pension, NDIS, JobSeeker, Family Tax Benefits, and disability support. - 1 – Healthcare (Medicare & Public Hospitals)
Largest expenditure, covering Medicare, hospitals, health professionals, and pharmaceuticals.
There have also been calls for a Universal Basic Income (UBI) to be administered by the public services sector. The UBI is a social welfare proposal in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive a minimum income in the form of an unconditional payment.
Australian Public Service
The Australian Public Service (APS) is Australia’s federal civil service, delivering commonwealth government policies and services. The national government employs around 150,000 impartial, non-partisan staff across departments like Home Affairs and Services Australia. Governed by the Public Service Act 1999, the APS operates under core values of integrity, accountability, and merit-based hiring.
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) oversees public sector workforce standards, while agencies handle policy advice (e.g., advising ministers), service delivery (e.g., Medicare, Centrelink), and regulation (e.g., tax, immigration). Roles range from APS Level 1–6 (entry to mid) to Executive (EL1–EL2) and Senior Executive Service (SES).
Recent focus includes digital transformation (e.g., MyGov), workplace culture reforms, and lessons from failures like Robodebt. Jobs are listed on APS Jobs, often requiring citizenship and security checks. Unlike state public services, the APS manages federal programs, while states run areas like health and schools.
Public Services Union
The other way to advance public services is to support industrial action taken by public sector workers themselves through their union. These workers can strike to improve their own working conditions, as well as to protest the undermining of the public services sector.
There should be no doubt the public services sector significantly helps the poor. Indeed, democratic socialist countries have proved this to be the case. As a result, government must ensure first-rate publicly funded services for all citizens. This should include a decent living income for the poor, to increase the health of the whole community and provide increased opportunities for the poor.
If you want a public services government that will look after people, there are a number of ways to advance this. One is at the ballot box – by voting for a Socialist!
Queensland Public Service
State governments are also a major provider of a range of public services. These public service agencies play an important role in the lives of Queenslanders.
Public Service Act Qld
This Act may be cited as the Public Sector Act 2022. The Act commenced on 1 March 2023. The main purpose of this Act is to provide a framework for a fair and integrated public sector that serves the people of Queensland and the State.
This legislation governs the Queensland public sector, including the powers and responsibilities of the Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC runs programs such as the “Leadership and Capability Development” framework and other initiatives focused on developing talent within the public sector.
Queensland Public Service Commission
The Queensland Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent statutory body responsible for promoting and improving the performance, capability, and integrity of the Queensland public sector. It provides leadership and direction on public administration and public sector management, workforce development, and upholding values such as accountability, transparency, and ethical behaviour.
The PSC plays a key role in shaping the Queensland public sector workforce through leadership, policy guidance, and strategic initiatives. It helps ensure that state public sector employees are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to deliver high-quality services.
Queensland Public Service Award
The PSC focuses on the wellbeing and engagement of the public sector workforce, fostering an inclusive and positive work environment. Initiatives include diversity and inclusion programs, as well as support for employee mental health and wellbeing.
The PSC encourages innovation and adaptability to meet changing community needs. It oversees programs to streamline public service delivery and enhance collaboration across government departments. It also plays a role in salary and remuneration policies for the public sector.
This concludes of coverage of Australia’s public services sector.
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