Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has intensified calls for a major overhaul of the federal public service, pledging to eliminate what he described as “wasteful bureaucracy” within government housing and decarbonisation programs if the Coalition wins the next federal election.

Speaking at a small business forum in Brisbane on Thursday, Taylor criticized certain government agencies for prioritizing self-interest over public service. He singled out what he called the "net-zero bureaucracy" and "housing bureaucracy" as areas ripe for immediate reduction, stating a future Coalition government would swiftly dismantle these sectors to cut inefficiencies.

“Wasteful bureaucracy has to go. I’ve been fighting it a lot in life, and I hate it with a passion,” Taylor told attendees, emphasizing his intention to remove federal bodies that, in his view, do not adequately serve Australian citizens.

Taylor’s remarks marked his most direct critique of the federal public sector since assuming the opposition leadership in February. The comments also reflect a sharpened stance from the Coalition compared to last year’s federal election campaign when the party’s initial public service policy faced heavy criticism and was subsequently scaled back. That earlier plan included measures such as ending work-from-home arrangements for Canberra-based officials, which were abandoned following backlash.

In addition to his bureaucratic reform agenda, Taylor sparked controversy with comments on migrant access to government housing support schemes. He asserted that migrants could access the five percent first-home buyers deposit scheme immediately upon arrival in Australia—a claim fact-checked as inaccurate. Migrants become eligible only upon gaining permanent residency, a status that typically takes at least three years.

Taylor argued that such programs should primarily reward Australian citizens rather than new arrivals, stating, “We need to make sure that citizenship is rewarded, and it should be Australian citizens who get access to programs like the 5 per cent Home Deposit Scheme.” He blamed the Labor government for extending access to this scheme to migrants upon arrival, a claim disputed by official policy guidelines.

Labor Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher responded by accusing the Coalition of seeking to politicize and undermine the independent public service. Gallagher claimed that the Coalition’s approach dismisses public servants as workers, rejects evidence-based policy, and risks widespread job losses. “They don’t back Canberra, and we have seen it at every election,” she said, referencing previous Coalition proposals to cut the federal workforce.

Despite her defense, Labor’s own budget projections do not allocate funding to expand the public sector payroll and imply several thousand public service job cuts will still be necessary.

As the next federal election approaches, debates over the size and role of Australia’s public service are likely to intensify, with Taylor’s renewed campaign signaling a more aggressive push for reform by the Coalition.