Finance and Public Sector Minister Katy Gallagher was joined by the ACT Labor MPs, candidates and supporters. Photo: Region.
Katy Gallagher says Canberrans should take Peter Dutton at his word and expect that the 41,000 public servants the Opposition Leader intends to sack will all be from the nation’s capital.
The Finance and Public Service Minister joined her ACT federal Labor MPs in Woden Town Square (which she described as “my hood”) shortly after the Prime Minister called the 3 May election on Friday morning (28 March) to highlight the government’s track record and future commitments.
She said Labor would fight for public service jobs and, referencing Mr Dutton’s budget reply speech from the night before, said it was clear the jobs he was talking about were all Canberra-based.
The Minister said it was up to Mr Dutton to explain how he could sack so many public servants and not have it affect frontline services.
She described the Opposition Leader’s agenda as Canberra-bashing and demonising the public service, but an agenda that should be believed.
It will force the economy into recession, devalue house prices, and see people leave the city, she said.
“We’ve seen this move before; we know what happens,” the Minister said.
“We haven’t seen it on this scale before, but certainly when we’ve had previous Liberal governments – they don’t care about Canberra, and they cut public servants. That is in their DNA.”
Cutting 41,000 Australian Public Service jobs in Canberra would equate to 60 per cent of the biggest employer in the ACT.
Senator Gallagher said the impacts would go right across the economy – the public sector, the private sector – and would affect every single family in this town.
“We have to accept him at his word. That is what he said last night,” she said.
“I cannot understand how you cut 41,000 and say none of them are frontline services because the majority of them are frontline.
“If that is what he is saying to this city, that is 60 per cent of the biggest employer in this city … We have rebuilt the public service. We have made sure that it’s resourced properly, and that’s been a really important part of our investment in Canberra.
“We heard last night the risks posed by a potential Dutton government if he were to win this election.
“He was very clear last night about what he is going to do with this town.
“He said again, and his leadership team have done so as well, that they will cut 41,000 jobs.
“They say Canberra-based jobs. They say they are going to be coming from this town.
“That will decimate this city. It would rip the heart out of this city … And this team, that I am so proud to stand here today with, are the team that are going to stand in Peter Dutton’s way.
“We are going to fight for this city. We are going to argue for it every day. We will challenge them to front up to this city and tell them exactly what they are going to do should they form government.
“Explain it to the people of Canberra. Don’t be weak and just say it on the floor of Parliament. Actually, come and say to people’s faces.”
Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh, Member for Canberra Alicia Payne and Member for Bean David Smith all vowed to fight for public service jobs.
Dr Leigh described economics as not being a strong point for Mr Dutton, whereas bashing Canberra is.
“For the ACT and Peter Dutton, it’s like he’s in an auction to see how much he can hurt the ACT,” Dr Leigh said.
“First, he was saying he was going to rip 36,000 public service jobs out of this town.
“He claims it would all be in Canberra. That means halving the public sector workforce.
“Now he says 41,000. The vast majority of Canberra public servants would lose their jobs with Peter Dutton’s plans.”
Mr Smith said he would vigorously defend public servants who “play their part in the national story” and local community.
Ms Payne said the whole nation relies on the APS to deliver services and to support the good governance of the nation.
“It is not just an attack on those families and those jobs, but every small business in our city,” she said.
“It is our whole economy … We will fight for those jobs.”
