The State Service Annual Report tabled today confirms that the Tasmanian public sector is in good shape and at a level that is both sustainable and affordable.
Through strong financial management the Tasmanian Liberal Government has ended the boom and busted cycle of the past which means public sector workers can look forward to a more secure future.
When we came to Government when there was $1.1 billion in accumulated deficit, a sea of red ink and 1,000 embedded job cuts in the state service.
It’s a matter of public record that we tried to minimise those job cuts with a wage freeze, but that was opposed and blocked by Labor.
We’ve done what we said we would, by cutting the backline we have been able to employ more people on the frontline.
Over the past year, we’ve employed an additional 351 people into the Tasmanian Health Service enabling us to improve health services and open more beds; while an extra 307 people in education has meant more student support and better student outcomes.
We have also demonstrated we are a Government that lives within its means.
Taking the tough decision on wages with a two percent wages policy has helped to put the budget back into balance.
Because we have fixed the budget, barring unanticipated major shocks, I do not see any need to reduce the size of the public service into the foreseeable future.
In fact, the only party proposing to sack state servants is the Labor Party – they want to abolish both the office of Coordinator General and Infrastructure Tasmania, that’s nearly 20 jobs which would go.
Worse, the Labor Party have no wages policy, which means there is absolutely no certainty about the future of the budget – every additional percentage point in wages costs the budget $25 million per year – that’s the equivalent of 250 state servants.
It has taken a majority Liberal Government to get the budget back in balance and provide certainty for public sector workers. Any return to Labor would mean a return to the bad old days of the past.