The ATO is meant to be bringing work back in-house. But its target to cut consultants is ‘woefully inadequate’

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Jonathan Barrett Business editorDecember 12, 2025 at 03:00 PM

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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is facing criticism for its plan to reduce outsourced work by only $500,000 this financial year. This target, revealed during a Senate Estimates hearing, is considered insufficient by the Australian Services Union and Senator Barbara Pocock. The union questioned if the figure was a typographical error, given the ATO's $4.5 billion annual operating budget. Senator Pocock stated that the ATO, as a major agency, should be taking a leading role in reducing its reliance on contractors and consultants. The concern centers on the perceived inadequacy of the planned reduction in outsourced work.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Barbara Pocock 50% Australian Services Union 80% Australian Taxation Office ×2100%

Keywords

australian taxation office 90% outsourcing 80% consultants 70% in-house work 70% contractors 60% australian services union 60% budget 50% senate estimates 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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australian taxation office outsourcing consultants in-house work contractors australian services union budget senate estimates

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