My last para above that reads,

"The other noticeable feature of the federal APS is the apparent favouritism that occurs. How is it that"

should be,

"The other noticeable feature of the federal (APS) and State public services is the apparent favouritism that occurs. Particularly noticeable is the mateship among some women, the leftie Old Grrls' networks, that results in the same mates and mates of mates popping up in public agencies. This has been happening for years. It is not 'networking' or affirmative action. It is corruption, plain and simple.

I'm still waiting for some hard evidence of the statements made in this thread.

And, exactly how many of the people posting have worked for the public service?

Cossomby,

You are not for real are you? See here,

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/topheavy-department-will-shed-its-executives-20130705-2phvk.html

It is not just one report, there are many and as you should be aware, there are many.

What about this? See here,

Executives bloating the bureaucracy with one manager for every 2.5 workers - one manager to every 2.5 ordinary workers..

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/executives-bloating-the-bureaucracy-with-one-manager-for-every-25-workers/story-fn59niix-1226610536522#

onthebeach,
You hit the nail on the head. Nepotism is rife and the best example I can give is Medicare where the jobs are handed to middle aged and over wives and siblings of senior public servants. They don't need the job other than for poker machine money.
Then there are the indigenous community councils where nepotism is the rule. Look at the AEC and the hourly rate they pay teachers to work during the election period.
Look at the housing department staff levels and the child services staff levels. Friends of friends of friends with little qualification (you can pick that up on the job) after you collect your government car.
Read the transcripts of the Royal Commission first session and you will see just how easy it is to get a well paid position without even a Child OK card just so long as you have rels in the job.
Sure the are a few dedicated PS personnel but most are more interested in their pay packet and the superannuation attached to it.
Personally I believe public service jobs should be time shared with unemployed people and spread the money round.

A lack of ethics that flowed down from the top:

http://www.news.com.au/national-news/tony-abbott-warns-gillard-government-over-key-appointments-before-september-14-poll/story-fncynjr2-1226625047282

The first error Rudd made when he beat Howard was not flushing out all the Howard-appointed Godwin Grech's from the Public Service and naively handing out overseas appointments to ex-Liberals.

Howard happily replaced all the Public Service mandarins with his own people and the size of Public Service grew at a higher rate under him than under Labor Governments before and after.

Other public enterprises were flogged off to mates or their boards were stacked with supporters and we will soon see more of the same under Abbott.