'Swing by a Centrelink': Union fires up over Dutton's war on public service waste
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has alluded to Elon Musk's mission to shake up the US bureaucracy, as he questioned the value of Labor's huge investment in public service capability.
On Thursday, Mr Dutton was asked about the addition of tens of thousands of new public servants since the Albanese government came to power in 2022.
"The extra public servants aren't driving efficiency, they're not resulting in a lower delivery cost of services, they're adding to the bureaucracy and process," Mr Dutton told 2GB's Ray Hadley.
"But of course, that keeps the unions happy because the public servants have a high membership rate of the union movement.
"And they pay their dues and they pay their fees to the union each fortnight and that money in part gets remitted to the Labor party that's their business model."
The Albanese government has funded an additional 36,000 public service jobs since in the last three federal budgets.
Many of the roles have gone towards service-delivery agencies, including Services Australia, the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher has attacked the Coalition for employing a "shadow" workforce of about 54,000 contractors, consultants and labour hire under the Morrison government.
While the government has given senior public servants a mandate to slash outsourcing, the impact on government expenditure will not be clear until 2025, when the government is due to release another audit of its workforce.
Mr Dutton has been targeting the expansion of the public service as wasteful, though he and senior members of his party have dodged questions over whether they would cut jobs, and how many.
Speaking to 2GB, he referenced Mr Musk's new role alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to reshape US federal agencies and cut excess regulations and expenditure.
"When you look at what Elon Musk has been tasked to do in the United States, why are we tolerating money being wasted when people are working harder than ever for their wage, they're paying taxes at a higher rate than they've ever paid and they want to know that money is being spent efficiently?" he said.
The comments have angered the Labor-affiliated Community and Public Sector Union, which represents about 44,000 federal public servants.
"I'd like to invite Peter Dutton to come and see our public services in action," national secretary Melissa Donnelly said in response.
"Swing by a Centrelink office and sit with a new mum getting her baby onto their Medicare card, or a student getting help with their relocation scholarship.
"Pop into immigration and ask how they are going with visa processing. Sit in a call centre and watch as thousands of people are assisted with pension claims, Austudy and child support.
"Go to the Department of Veterans' Affairs and look at the thousands of veterans that public servants are supporting to get the help they need.
"In answer to 'what do these people do' - they capably support the millions of Australians that the Liberals put on hold for almost a decade."
First published: The Canberra Times, November 15 2024, by Miriam Webber.
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