Andrew Leigh

SENATOR KATY GALLAGHER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
SENATOR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
 
ANDREW LEIGH MP
MEMBER FOR FENNER 
 
DAVID SMITH MP
MEMBER FOR BEAN
 
ALICIA PAYNE MP
MEMBER FOR CANBERRA

JOB CUTS AT DFAT – A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?

Today’s announcement that 60 DFAT jobs will be cut, up to 50 of them based in Canberra, will send another shockwave through the Australian Public Service (APS) in the lead up to the October budget.

Since this Liberal-National Government took office they have slashed $622 million from DFAT and cut over 500 staff

After news in recent weeks that 30 jobs will be cut from the National Gallery of Australia and 40 at the CSIRO – public servants cannot be used as a means to make easy budget savings at a time when they are performing a crucial and important role in the response to COVID-19.

It also comes on a day where it was revealed the Government spent more than $600 million last financial year on contracts with the big four consulting firms.

It’s astonishing that at a time when more than 130 jobs have been lost across Australia since March and when the unemployment lines are at already at record highs the Morrison Government continues to cut jobs in the APS.

The APS has been at the frontline of the Australian response to COVID-19 including the brave efforts of DFAT staff who went into Wuhan back in December last year before much was known about COVID-19, to bring Australians home.

The Liberals cannot be trusted with the APS.

Since coming to power, the Liberal/National Government has slashed almost 9,000 APS jobs from Canberra and around 18,000 across the country.

We need frank and fearless advice to government more than ever, but the Liberals cannot be trusted to keep Australia’s public service strong. No matter what the question is, their answer is always ‘cuts’.

ACT Senator Zed Seselja should stand up and immediately decry these latest cuts, which will send a shiver down the spine of thousands of Canberra-based public servants ahead of the budget in October.

ENDS

Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra.