The 2026 Victorian election is shaping up to be a test of the established party system in the state. The dominance of the Labor and the Coalition parties, which have taken turns in government for decades, is coming under threat from One Nation. Even though Pauline Hanson’s creation has traditionally struggled to attract support in Victoria, it is now demonstrating consistently strong opinion polling results.

While the dynamics of party competition are different in 2026, the policy debate has centred around the state’s finances, law and order, cost of living, roads, and health and education, which are all staples for state governments in Australia. In addition to these traditional policy areas, considerable focus has been on the public service in Victoria. 

Why the focus on the public service?

The public service in Victoria is similar to that of other jurisdictions across the country. It is fundamental to the operation of the state. The Victorian Public Service (VPS) upholds Westminster ideals. The public service not only provides advice to the government, it also designs and delivers policy with the direction from the government of the day. It is a non-partisan system, meaning that it is not beholden to a political party. It is also where expertise exists. Ministers are often not experts in their portfolio and rely on the public service to convert their ideas into practice.

The public service is also a major employer in the state with over 58,000 people working in it in 2025.

The renewed focus on the public service in Victoria stems from the Independent Review of the VPS which was headed by Helen Silver and completed in mid-2025. 

Reducing the number of senior executive roles, cutting the number of public sector entities, and mapping ways for digital reform were among the list of recommendations. 

Additionally, the review called for ways to strengthen the VPS. This included advancing the ‘strategic capacity in the central agencies’ for state and national relations, as well as establishing protocols ‘between the executive government and the VPS that defines roles, recognises capacity constraints, and promotes shared stewardship of government effectiveness’. 

The major parties’ focus on the public service

Within this context, the major parties have been speaking about the public service and how they would manage it if they were to win the election.

A key point of discussion has been the size of the public service.

The government’s response to the Silver review, which was released in December last year, showed that it supported many of the recommendations, in addition to aiming to reduce the expenditure on external consultancies. 

When led by Jacinta Allan in 2025, Labor had already sought to reduce the size of the public service, with the then Treasurer forecasting that somewhere around ‘two and three thousand jobs will be expected to go’. In responding to the Silver report, this figure was cut as it was reported that the Allan Government would reduce the staffing numbers by over 1000 positions.

The opposition, on the other hand, has reportedly sought to save $22 billion over the next 10 years by placing a ‘hiring freeze on all back-office public sector roles’. The policy would impact 46 agencies and departments, while the opposition reportedly promised to make no cuts to the number of those in public-facing roles such as police or teachers. 

Size of bureaucracy part of the picture 

While the size and cost of the public service has significant implications for budgets and service delivery, it seems to have eclipsed discussion about the capacity of the public service to design and deliver public value.

As a current ANZSOG academic fellow, I am investigating how public servants develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to undertake their jobs. 

At the initial stage of my research, I have been speaking with graduate public servants. They are all committed and motivated to advancing the public good. They have chosen to pursue a career that seeks to make a positive impact on the community. 

This election is an opportunity for the parties to focus less on head counting and more on how to support the public service to design and deliver policy well. It is also in their own interest. Afterall, whoever wins the election will inherit a public service that has the skills and capacity to turn promises into results.

Zareh Ghazarian is a 2026 Academic Fellow and delivers occasional workshops for the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG)