Public service cuts would have 'devastating' impact, Albanese claims

The Canberra Times

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claims Peter Dutton's plans to cut federal public service jobs would have a “devastating impact” on Canberra and all Australians. Video by ABC News

Transcript

00:00ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the Coalition's plan to cut 41,000 public servants from Canberra

00:08would mean a prolonged depression for the area and surrounding suburbs.

00:12Do you agree with that assessment or do you think it's a bit overblown?

00:14No, you bet it would.

00:16It would have more, I won't say more importantly, it would have a devastating impact on Canberra.

00:23But I'll tell you what I'm more worried about, the impact it would have on Australians,

00:30the impact it would have on Australian veterans who would go back to waiting

00:35and in some cases the men and women in uniform who served our country not getting their entitlements.

00:42I'll tell you the impact it would have on our defence and national security

00:46because there are around 68,000 public servants in Canberra.

00:5141,000, you get rid of them.

00:55Where does he think Services Australia runs its central offices from

01:00to provide support for Australians in emergency funding after there's been a natural disaster?

01:05Where does he think the people who run our pension system work?

01:11Where does he think on national security, ASIO, ACES, the Australian Security Intelligence Service,

01:19the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

01:24the Australian Signals Directorate that work on cyber security issues?

01:30Where does he think these people are?

01:32I'll give him the hint.

01:33When he goes from Parliament House to go off to the airport

01:37where he wants to be able to fly to his home in Kirribilli House,

01:41the building that's in front of him, in Russell, is full of Canberra public servants.

01:49The buildings to the left, not breaking secrets here, ASIO.

01:55I've been to all of them.

01:57I would suspect that he's been perhaps to some of them.

02:02I'm not sure where he thinks Operation Sovereign Borders runs from,

02:05but it doesn't run from Gosford, with respect to Gosford.

02:09It runs from Canberra.

02:12This would have a devastating impact on gutting the capacity of the Australian government

02:20to serve the Australian people.

02:22And it's just one example of how they are just unfit.

02:28You know, he has had three years to prepare for an election.

02:32What I did as opposition leader for three years

02:36was doing the first budget reply, childcare, fully costed.

02:41We've now implemented that.

02:43The Housing Australia Future Fund announced in a budget reply,

02:47funded a plan to go forward.

02:50This mob changed their minds on a day-to-day basis.

02:56And I'll make this point.

02:57We do live in an uncertain world.

02:59In an uncertain world, where there is volatility,

03:03the last thing you need is a volatile government

03:07that can't agree on its own positions on a day-to-day basis,

03:12that thinks that getting angry and muscling up

03:17is the way that you engage in diplomacy,

03:20that is prepared to verbal leaders of other countries

03:26or the head of the Reserve Bank.

03:30You know, this mob are just not ready for government.

03:35And I hope that that is seen by Australians

03:38in the lead-up to Saturday's election.

03:41Thank you very much.

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