Australian Unions warn if the Coalition goes ahead with its plan to cut $6 billion from the public sector, it will wipe out up to 36,000 public sector jobs.
Australian Unions say the cuts would result in 1 in 5 public sector jobs being lost around the country, impacting services from pensions and veterans' payments to the operation of regional weather stations and the ABC.
Coalition Leader, Peter Dutton, yesterday declared he would look for savings of $6 billion a year by cutting public sector jobs as a way to match the Government's investment in Medicare.
More than 20,000 of the new public sector jobs are based outside of Canberra, including front line workers, with large workforces in communities including Townsville and Geelong.
The cuts to public sector jobs will not save taxpayers' money. When in office, the Coalition relied heavily on private consultants, particularly the Big Four accounting and consulting firms, awarding them contracts totaling $21 billion in the final year alone of the Morrison Government.
The cuts risk creating growing claim backlogs at Services Australia, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the ATO which could delay essential payments and weaken tax avoidance efforts.
Coalition Education Minister, Sarah Henderson also signaled that the Coalition would save money by failing to match Labor's $16 billion pledge to waive 20 per cent of tertiary student debts.
Denying the Albanese Government's 20 per cent debt relief would cost a student with an average-sized student loan $5,520, adding to cost-of-living pressures.
The Coalition also voted against the Government's free TAFE legislation, which has saved students between $10,000 to $20,000 in total course fees.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President, Michele O'Neil:
"Job cuts mean service cuts. The only winners from Peter Dutton's cuts are big consultants that will profit from this outsourcing, as well as multinational companies that will have weaker oversight on their tax avoidance.
"For Australian veterans, students and pensioners, Dutton's cuts mean longer wait times and fewer people to help you if you need assistance with your payments.
"Australians need an effective public service that support their communities. Two-thirds of public service workers are based in regional areas. Sacking 1 in 5 of these jobs means we also lose the expertise, services and wages these workers provide to local communities across Australia."
Quotes attributable to CPSU National Secretary, Melissa Donnelly:
"The only people who win from Peter Dutton's plan to slash public services are the consultants from places like PwC and KPMG.
"Sixty percent of public service jobs are being done in places like Townsville, the Blue Mountains and Goulburn.
"Peter Dutton's plan to rip 36,000 jobs out of the public service is a plan to rip money and jobs out of local economies, and good local services out of communities.
"In the final year of the Morrison Government, the Liberals had employed an external labour workforce of 54,000 employees at a cost of $21 billion.
"Peter Dutton's plan to gut our public services is a plan to sack highly skilled APS employee and give their work to his mates in big business."
