The Community and Public Sector Union, representing workers in the Australian Public Service, says the Morrison Government's announcement that it will further cut public service funding is an extraordinary attack on jobs and essential services.
The Coalition's costings indicate $3.3bn will be ripped out of the Australian Public Service (APS) over the forward estimates, if they are re-elected on Saturday. This includes $2.7bn through direct funding cuts and $653m through pushing certain superannuation contributions back to agencies.
The CPSU estimates that this will cut 5,500 jobs from the APS over the forward estimates from 2022-23.
This stands in contrast to Labor's approach to savings in the APS. Labor has promised that they would cut outsourcing and contractor waste and reinvest those savings in the public sector, rebuilding the capacity of our public services.
Quotes attributable to CPSU National Secretary, Melissa Donnelly:
"The public service has steered Australia through the pandemic, fires, and floods. All Australians rely on the essential services they deliver.
"Ripping billions of dollars out of the public sector will have a devastating impact on jobs and services, and further reduce the capacity of the APS to support Australians.
"Let's be clear about what these cuts to the public sector mean - they mean people wait longer on the phone to Centrelink, veterans wait longer for claims to be processed and backlogs will continue to grow.
"At a time when so many in the Australian community rely on essential public services, the Morrison Government has turned its back on the community.
"Since being elected in 2013, the Coalition has already ripped $3.9934bn in funding out of the public service and cut 8,000 public sector jobs. At the same time, they have handed over $5bn to private companies outsourcing public sector work.
"The Australian community cannot afford another 5,500 APS job cuts."
