Dutton’s ‘DOGE’ Moment: Slashing Bureaucracy Like Trump’s Government Efficiency Drive

At the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, we’ve been saying for years that Australia needs to get serious about government waste and inefficiency. For too long, taxpayers have been footing the bill for bloated public sector spending without any tangible benefits.

It’s time for that to change, and I’m glad to see our calls are being heard.

A few days ago, our Chief Economist, Dr. John Humphreys, made the case for an Australian version of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In the U.S., DOGE, under Elon Musk, will be tasked with cutting through red tape and streamlining government operations. As John said: “We don’t need more bureaucrats; we need smarter systems.”

The numbers speak for themselves. Since 2022, 36,000 new public sector roles have been added in Canberra at a cost of $6 billion a year. That’s $6 billion of your hard-earned money going to more middle management, not frontline services.

The good news is that Peter Dutton has heeded our call, promising to “cut public servant jobs in Canberra”, and appointing Jacinta Nampijinpa Price as the shadow minister for government efficiency - echoing Trump’s DOGE initiative.

I welcome this move.  It’s encouraging to see political leaders finally stepping up to tackle what’s been obvious for years: Australians deserve a government that works for them, not against them.

But let’s remember—this isn’t about cutting spending for the sake of cutting spending. It’s about prioritising outcomes and getting better value for money. The real target should be the unnecessary, expensive and wasteful bureaucracy we’ve been saddled with.

At the ATA we’ve been tirelessly warning about the consequences of unchecked public sector growth for years. As Dr. Humphreys pointed out, “Too much government not only wastes money, it stifles innovation and progress.” That’s the real issue here—inefficiency doesn’t just cost money; it costs opportunity, inhibiting innovation, economic growth and the delivery of essential services. 

Of course, some people won’t like this move - already there is fear-mongering about public service jobs at risk outside of Canberra. But Dutton has every reason to stand firm -  this isn’t a radical idea; it’s common sense. Taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for inefficiency—they should be funding services that improve their lives.

This proposal from Dutton is a step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go. At the ATA, we’ll continue to push for smarter, smaller government that respects your money and your hard work.

We need to keep the momentum going, and that’s where you come in. With your support, we can keep fighting for a more efficient, accountable government. Together, we can make sure that every dollar counts.

Let’s get it done.