The Australian Public Service Commissioner (APSC) and Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) have written to staff about the post-Robodebt era. 

In a joint message, Professor Glyn Davis of PM&C and Dr Gordon de Brouwer of APSC emphasised their commitment to taking the Royal Commission's findings seriously. 

They said they want every member of the APS and the Australian public to know that they were determined to approach the matter in an open and constructive manner.

“We are committed to working through the findings in an open and constructive way with you - the APS - and with the Australian public,” Professor Davis and Dr. de Brouwer stated.

The APS leaders acknowledged the dedication of the vast majority of public servants who consistently uphold the APS values and code of conduct, providing quality advice and dedicated service. 

They also recognised the importance of the meaningful work carried out by these public servants and the diligent approach they apply daily.

To address the issues raised in the Royal Commission's report, the leaders announced the establishment of a task force that would support Ministers in preparing the Government's response.

Furthermore, they outlined a separate, independent process that would be overseen by the APSC to determine whether public servants with adverse findings had breached the APS Code of Conduct. 

The process would be established under the APS Commissioner's powers in the Public Service Act 1999 and would aim to be fair, impartial, and consistent.

To ensure complete independence in this process, the APSC engaged former APS Commissioner Stephen Sedgwick as the Independent Reviewer. 

Mr Sedgwick would be responsible for conducting inquiries and determining whether an individual referred for inquiry had breached the APS Code of Conduct.

The APS leaders also acknowledged that their message and the Royal Commission's findings might have an impact on the staff. 

They encouraged employees to utilise their agency's Employee Assistance Program and provided contact information in their letter.

The full statement is accessible here.