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

SERVICES TO BE WORSE IN HOBART UNDER DUTTON

Local jobs and access to vital services will be at risk in Hobart under Peter Dutton, underscoring the choice at this election between building Australia’s future with Labor or taking Australia backwards.  

While the Albanese Labor Government has employed more than 480 Hobart locals to secure and rewarding APS positions since 2022, Peter Dutton has vowed to slash and burn these jobs.

The Coalition has committed to cutting at least 36,000 public service jobs across the country – approximately 20 per cent of the entire public service workforce – which would have a direct impact on the Hobart and southern Tasmanian community.

Currently, there are around 3,800 Hobart locals who work in agencies like Services Australia and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

This destructive commitment made by Peter Dutton would put these jobs are at risk and mean worse services for Tasmanians.

Contrary to what the Coalition claims, most public servants live and work outside Canberra. Across the country, Peter Dutton’s commitment would translate to 22,700 job losses outside of Canberra.

These cuts would have a significant impact on the delivery of much-needed government services and lead to delays for Centrelink and other Services Australia payments, longer approvals for veteran’s pension claims, and blown-out processing times to get newborn babies onto Medicare.

There are thousands of people reliant on government services in the Hobart area – including around 49,000 people with a pension concession card and 26,000 people receiving the aged pension, around 14,000 people with a health care card, and over 2,000 people receiving veteran’s payments from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs – who would all feel the impact of Peter Dutton’s cuts to services.

It is a direct threat to the progress made by the Albanese Government, which has been hard at work since 2022 rebuilding the APS’ capacity to deliver the services Australians expect and deserve, after a decade of neglect by the Liberals and Nationals.

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE, SENATOR KATY GALLAGHER:

“Peter Dutton’s commitment to cutting at least 20 per cent of the public service should send a shiver up the spine of Hobart locals.

“It will mean 900 jobs losses in Tasmania in agencies like Services Australia, and result in worse essential services that locals rely on every day.

“This is all part of Peter Dutton’s plan for $347 billion in cuts to vital services like Medicare, pensions and housing which will leave Australians worse off at a time when people are already doing it tough.

“Rather than the lazy conservative cutting, we should be investing in a strong public service to deliver the services that Hobart locals need and deserve.”

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO REBECCA WHITE, CANDIDATE FOR LYONS:

"The Sorell Service Centre has been a game changer for our community and a great example of how Labor is committed to investing in public services in regional Tasmania.

"As a local, I understand how important it is to be able to drop by the Centre and be able to talk to a familiar face about a Centrelink or Medicare issues.  For our community, not having to drive into town for essential government services makes a huge difference.

"Peter Dutton’s plan to cut at least 20 percent of the public service should be a real concern for regional Tasmanians. These cuts will mean local job losses and a return to longer wait times for Government services."