The Prime Minister’s decision to abolish four federal departments must not  be used as an excuse to cut thousands more public sector jobs across the country.
 
The Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Governments have already cut almost 19,000 jobs cut since they took office with 3,158 jobs gone in the last financial year alone.
 
With four departments abolished, Scott Morrison refused to guarantee there would be no job cuts, saying this would be a decision for secretaries.
 
At this time of economic uncertainty the last things this nation needs is more jobs cuts.
 
It is also clear the abolition of the departments occurred without seeking advice from some of the departments involved about the effect of the changes on government efficiency and the quality of its services.
 
Fewer jobs in the public service mean fewer services for Australians.
 
Simply sacking people and changing the titles of some departments will not deal with the big challenges facing the public service. 
 
Public servants working for this government will now be forced to head into Christmas uncertain about what 2020 brings for them and their families.
 
The Australian community relies on a well-led and well-resourced public service to deliver, amongst other things, social services to the most vulnerable, Medicare, border protection and emergency response.
 
This is a government that has presided over failures including the:

• Illegal Robodebt scheme
• Centrelink waiting times blow out
• Tax office computer failures
• ABS Censusfail
• Blow outs in waiting times for aged care, home care packages
• Delays for NDIS care for people with a disability.

This government has never respected the public service or the work that they do. Today’s announcement does nothing to change that.
 
The Liberals simply cannot be trusted when it comes to the public service. 
 
THURSDAY, 5 DECEMBER, 2019