Humphry says ‘No, Minister!’

Date: 16 January 2001

Fahey's IT dream becomes a nightmare

The CSPU has welcomed the release of the Humphry Review into the Government's Information Technology Outsourcing Initiative.

CPSU National President, Matthew Reynolds, said "The findings of the Review are great news and come after three years of direct action and lobbying by CPSU in support of public sector jobs and services. The Review echoes many of the concerns CPSU has expressed about IT outsourcing being forced on agencies."

Significantly, the Review backs the union's call for Finance Minister, John Fahey's clumsy and inflexible whole-of-government approach to be abandoned.

The key recommendations in the Review include:
 the devolution of decision-making about IT outsourcing to individual agency heads, including decisions about what, if anything, should be outsourced
 the removal of the centralist management role of the Office of Asset Sales and Information Technology Outsourcing (OASITO)
 an immediate stop to IT outsourcing in Centrelink, CSIRO & science agencies, DETYA, DEWRSB, ASIC and the National Library until concerns over implementation risks are addressed.

"The Humphry Review has created some confusion for staff in areas where outsourcing has already happened or is under way. We will shortly contact all agency heads about the future of IT work in their agencies and the absolute need for staff involvement in all decision-making on this issue.

"The Government's discredited approach to IT outsourcing is also being used to market-test, and eventually outsource, other government functions like corporate services. We will be working hard to demonstrate that the Government's approach to market-testing is just as wrong-headed as their IT outsourcing policy," said Mr Reynolds.

"While the outsourcing war is far from over, the battles of the last few months have delivered a significant victory for public sector workers. In particular, IT staff and members in CSIRO and other science agencies deserve special mention for the way they took this important fight up to the Government," Mr Reynolds added.

For further information

Contact:	Dermott Browne
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	93349200

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