SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER
MINISTER FINANCE
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
MINISTER FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES

JASON CLARE MP
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CONFERENCE
SYDNEY
TUESDAY, 8 APRIL 2025
 
SUBJECTS: Peter Dutton’s cuts.

KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR FINANCE, WOMEN, THE PUBLIC SERVICE, GOVERNMENT SERVICES, LABOR CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON: Now is not the time for cuts and chaos that we're seeing from Peter Dutton and the Opposition. Yesterday we're meant to believe that they have abandoned their plan to cut 41,000 public servants across the country, and also that they're now not against working from home arrangements. So they've spent two years or more investing in cuts to the public service, in telling people they need to get back to the office, and then, in the teeth of an election campaign, in an attempt to chase votes, they've decided that all of a sudden, those aren't their policies anymore. Well, we don't believe them, and I don't think the people of Australia believe them, because they know that under Peter Dutton, you'll get cuts, you'll get chaos, and you'll get shameless vote chasing, as opposed to considered and responsible policy from the Government.
 
And we know, even in the last 12 hours, since the supposed change to their policy, we've seen cracks emerging. We've seen Angus Taylor on 7.30 say that they haven't abandoned their policy at all. We've seen David Littleproud saying they still believe that workers should be back in the office and that's still something that they believe in. And this morning, we've seen Peter Dutton say they're still going to get their $7 billion worth of savings from sacking 41,000 workers. So it's pretty clear you can't take $7 billion out of the public service without sacking 41,000 people. He’s trying to tell us that he's not going to do that anymore, then he has to come clean on why he's still getting $7 billion in savings.
 
We know that he will cut, he will cut the public service, he will force workers back into the office, because that is what they believe in. That is their policy. We cannot and no one should believe at all that they have changed their position, and I think the comments this morning from Peter Dutton confirming that they will still take $7 billion in savings confirms their policy is to cut the public service and force workers back into the office.
 
JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, LABOR CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON: Thanks very much Katy. Peter Dutton’s election campaign is falling apart and he's getting desperate. He's now desperately trying to con the Australian people that he's all of a sudden changed his mind when it comes to working from home. But Australian people aren't silly. They can tell when Peter Dutton is trying to con them, and Peter Dutton has tried to con them before.
 
Before the 2013 election, he went on 4BC radio on Shane Doherty's program, and he was asked this question, ‘can you guarantee that health will not be a place that you'll cut back?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ Now that was a lie. That was a flat out lie, because after that election, it was like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was just cuts everywhere. He tried to cut $50 billion out of the health system and tried to put taxes on people to go to the doctor and even go to the emergency department. Now, if Peter Dutton says that and then does that, that shows that you just can't trust him. You can't trust him when he says he's changed his mind on working from home, and you can't trust him when he says he won't cut health because he's done it before.
 
Now, a couple of weeks ago, Peter Dutton said this. He said, ‘look at what politicians do more than what they say.’ Well, that should be a red light, flashing, warning the Australian people, he says, ‘look at what politicians do more than what they say.’ Well have a look at what he's done. When he's had the chance before, he's cut funding to health, $50 billion worth. It shows that you just can't trust Peter Dutton, whether it's cuts to health or whether it's cutting your rights to work from home. He doesn't understand modern families, and he hasn't changed. He's just trying to con the Australian people a couple of weeks before they vote. The truth is, as sure as night follows day, he'll cut and you'll pay. Thanks very much.

ENDS