Andrew Leigh

 ANDREW LEIGH MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER

SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION

MEMBER FOR FRASER

 

 

GAI BRODTMANN MP

 

SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR DEFENCE

 

MEMBER FOR CANBERRA

 

 

SENATOR KATY GALLAGHER

SENATOR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

  

MEDIA RELEASE

 

public service on the chopping block again

 

The Canberra community is outraged by reports today the Abbott Government will further reduce the size of the public service, with fresh cuts to be included in the Budget tomorrow night.

 

It is believed eight public sector departments will undergo so-called “functional reviews” with the aim of slashing more jobs.

 

The Coalition has already shed almost 17,000 public service jobs since coming to office in 2013.

 

This worrying news comes after Prime Minister Tony Abbott assured ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr that the worst of the Commonwealth job cuts were over at last month’s Council of Australian Governments meeting.

Harsh public sector job cuts are short-sighted and can only lead to a reduction in critical front-line services and job skills.

 

Coalition governments have a shameful track record of using the public service as political pawns.    

 

We saw the devastating effect that public sector job cuts had on Canberra in 1996.

 

 Is that the future this Government wants for the ACT?

 

The Abbott Government has complete contempt for the public service and Canberra.

 

Thousands of public servants in Canberra now have little to no job security, placing them under enormous personal strain.

 

All this comes on top of possible plans to rip the Department of Immigration out of Belconnen and gut the local town centre in the process.

 

Labor will continue to campaign against these attacks on jobs, the local economy and our community.