Public service union refuses to back Labor at Victorian election, condemning job cuts and $1.2bn consultant spend
Summary
Victoria’s Community and Public Sector Union says it will not support the Labor government in the state election on 28 November. The union cites public service job cuts and $1.2 billion in consultant spending, while both Labor and the Coalition have proposed limits on public service staffing.Key Facts
- The CPSU’s Victorian branch secretary, Jiselle Hanna, said the union cannot support Labor without a commitment to no public service job cuts.
- The union plans to announce its decision on Wednesday and has launched a campaign urging voters not to back candidates who propose job cuts.
- The Victorian government cut about 1,000 Victorian public service roles, including more than 300 executive positions, and merged several government entities.
- The government says those changes saved $4 billion and did not affect frontline roles.
- The CPSU says its analysis of government annual reports found Labor spent $1.2 billion on consultants across 10 departments since 2017-18.
- The Department of Treasury and Finance had the highest reported consultant spending, at about $222 million since 2017.
- The Coalition has promised an indefinite hiring freeze for back-office public service roles if elected, saying it would save $22 billion over a decade.
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