The CPSU has slammed Opposition leader Tony Abbott's plan to slash public sector jobs as part of an extra $1.2 billion package of spending cuts announced today.
The Coalition had already promised to cut $4 billion from the Budget including 12,000 public service jobs over two years.
CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said:
"Calling for public sector jobs cuts in an election is easy. Finding answers to Australia's increasingly complex policy and essential service delivery needs is more difficult.
"Nothing Tony Abbott has put forward so far indicates he's up to the challenge.
"In an increasingly complex world, the Australian community is placing higher and higher demands on the Government and the public sector.
"The community wants a public sector that can find answers to challenges such as health care reform, border protection and the environment.
"Claiming frontline service will not be affected by a $5.2 billion cut is a furphy.
"If you cut laboratory technicians in the CSIRO, you damage our research capacity. If you cut back office support jobs in the Defence Department you end up with soldiers driving desks, rather than tanks.
"We are calling on Tony Abbott to outline exactly which support function jobs will be lost and what plans are in place for the work that remains.
"Tony Abbott can not credibly argue that these cuts won't have an effect on the essential services our community relies on.
"This approach is a recipe for longer queues at Centrelink and more delay at Customs," said Ms Flood.
The CPSU is also calling on all sides of politics to remember that public sector workers are real people, with families and mortgages just like other Australians.
"These people don't enjoy seeing their jobs and futures being kicked around like a political football by politicians trying to show how ‘hard' they can be," said Ms Flood.
Contact details
CPSU media officer Dermot Browne 0408 265 081 For comment: Nadine Flood 0407 731 330
