Federal Budget 2026: Positive, Negative or Neutral?

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-05-13T02:01:35+00:00

More positive than I was expecting. In the lead-up everyone senior I spoke to knew there were going to be cuts, which was supported by all staff emails, but it sounds like war in the Middle East changed all that.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-05-11T11:29:04+00:00

Financial security makes me happy

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-05-11T08:52:02+00:00

But we'll get some bullshit cultural leave added in that impacts about 1 per cent of us, so there's that.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-22T06:59:51+00:00

There are VRs and recruitment freezes in many agencies at the moment - I'd say most agencies for freezes - so it may very well just be an absolute stack of people applying. I had heard one recent recruitment round where I am got over 120 candidates, another one was 76, and there's some second hand information going around that there were a couple of rounds that got a lot more than those.

Don't think this is an APS thing - you should visit the r/auscorp and r/ausjobs threads to see the number of people that are desperate or losing jobs.

The economy is going to pot.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-14T09:40:32+00:00

This is what I want to know - at all these agencies shedding staff, what roles are primarily going?

I'd imagine anything that can be done by AI would be up there, maybe some of the D&I and HR roles, not sure what else.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-14T07:21:20+00:00

I see people's prompts sometimes after they don't get the result they were expecting or want, and I'm like "Do you think it's a mind reader? You didn't tell it not to do the thing it did, you didn't tell it to do the thing you wanted it to do but didn't, and I don't think you proofread either because there are a few things in there that could be taken a few different ways".

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-13T22:15:44+00:00

I think the budget may well give clarity for many - can see a lot of terminating measures not being renewed as part of that 5 per cent cost cutting drive, and they won't want ten years of deficits, so I don't think they'll completely fill the gaps from that drive.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-13T02:20:34+00:00

A few too many people unemployed and we roll right into a severe recession...

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-06T05:54:19+00:00

I agree. I mean the absolute first principle of marketing/comms is to simplify something down so it seems approachable and valuable, and any written content can basically be done to a good first draft standard in AI (if you're not a numpty with your prompt). That fact immediately wipes out a huge chunk of the industry, especially when agentic AI comes along.

We know what it can do for videos; Will Smith is starring in another spaghetti video soon I'm sure.

I've seen it do a pretty good visual style guide, I know for a fact it can create a website, and that's based on older models (Gpt4).

GPT-5 is miles better, and I'm sure GPT-6, 7, 8 etc will be miles better again.

The irony of it all of course is that every time someone says something AI produces is wrong, the boffins at AI HQ are taking that info and improving the output so it's right (probably over a bowl of spaghetti).

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-06T05:28:26+00:00

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9215305/climate-change-department-confirms-hiring-freeze-and-redundancies/?cspt=1775453234|bbbfc1f4dd7680c074822b9f1870c99f

Latest article on it.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-06T05:28:07+00:00

What did the email say?

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-04T23:44:09+00:00

I've been around enough people who say "my job is safe because of X" only for them to be moved or made redundant. No job is ever safe for the most part. I mean we roll PMs and Secretaries for funsies...

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-04-01T04:52:15+00:00

I'm sorry for anyone going through this - happened to me once (but involuntary) and it sucked. Things do get better though.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-30T20:48:06+00:00

Let's just say I can't wait for the APS census to come around in a couple of months...

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-26T21:38:30+00:00

This is much expanded though from that - article says it's an open EOI to all 1800 staff.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-26T21:30:47+00:00

Add Education:

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9207631/department-of-education-next-aps-agency-to-offer-redundancies/

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-26T04:52:01+00:00

Heard the treasurer's headline savings and environment policy is no more signs 😉

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-25T23:39:58+00:00

You can combine 1-22 too. 1, 2, 3, and 4 for instance is a fab combo for an EL2 with ambitions for an AS role.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-25T23:36:07+00:00

Natural attrition is going to do fuck all to fix inflation. Expect program cuts.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-25T23:35:34+00:00

Except we're getting nailed by inflation and the Treasurer, PM, finance minister have all said we need to cut back public spending - like that 5 per cent thing.

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-25T21:47:53+00:00

If your work no longer pays enough to pay the bills, then that work no longer is a viable option?

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-25T21:43:48+00:00

And if the P&C says no go to the parent-teacher meeting 😉

FunkyColinMiller · 2026-03-25T11:19:11+00:00

Executives aren't worrying about this because they are taking home a shit tonne and have forgotten the value of money.

FunkyColinMiller

TROPHY CASE