The Federal Opposition has floated plans to cut Public Service staffing in a bid to fund its $3.2 billion carbon reduction scheme.
Shadow Minister for Finance, Senator Barnaby Joyce made the comments in a speech to the National Press Club last week.
Senator Joyce said the only way future Public Service jobs could be saved was to “control costs now.”
“If you don’t control costs now, you are putting at risk more people in the Public Service,” he said. “You’ve got to cut the suit to fit the wearer.
Savings to pay for greenhouse scheme
“We want to maintain the capacity to support everyone.”
Senator Joyce also suggested making cuts to the foreign aid budget.
Asked to confirm the job cut plan, Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott said the Coalition had no plans to cut foreign aid spending, but did not rule out cuts to the PS, saying only that the Coalition “supported the Public Service.”
Minister for Finance, Lindsay Tanner called on the Opposition to clarify their plans for the Public Service.
“In a period of rising unemployment, drastically slashing Public Service jobs makes no sense,” Mr Tanner said.
“The Coalition needs to come clean with details of how many public service jobs they intend to cut and the impact those job losses will have on public service delivery.”
Deputy Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, Nadine Flood said she was baffled by Senator Joyce’s comments.
“‘Australia is facing many serious challenges like climate change, an ageing workforce, the education revolution and health reform,” Ms Flood said.
“Having a well-resourced and independent Public Sector is crucial to finding our way through this.”
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