Dutton retreats on work from home, but persists with drawn out public service cuts
Dutton retreats on work from home, but persists with drawn out public service cuts | Australian Greens Skip to main content Search Get Involved Join Donate Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Get Involved Join Donate Search Our plan Toggle Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Toggle Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Toggle Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement Toggle About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Dutton retreats on work from home, but persists with drawn out public service cuts 2025-04-07 The Coalition’s spectacular backflip on sacking public servants should not be misread as a retreat from their cost-cutting agenda.
They remain committed to downsizing the Australian Public Service by 41,000 and that will have a devastating impact on service delivery to communities across Australia. Peter Dutton and Jane Hume don’t understand today’s workplace or household. They are frozen in an inflexible world that is long gone and is not coming back.
The public’s rejection of their policy to roll back work from home shows how out of step they are. Here in South Australia voters in the marginal seat of Sturt need to know that James Stevens, Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction, is part of the team bringing mass cuts to our public sector – for five years ahead. They are promising a long slow bleed of jobs and services.
Lines attributable to Senator Barbara Pocock: “Peter Dutton’s about face on sacking public servants and banning work-from-home arrangements shows just how out of touch the Coalition are with the Australian electorate. Opposing flexibility for workers and cutting the public service is in the Liberals’ DNA, and watering down their policy statements after a voter backlash doesn’t hide their ultimate agenda of shrinking the public sector workforce and opposing flexibility.
“Don’t be fooled by the softening of Dutton’s rhetoric. He still aims to cut 41,000 government jobs that provide vital services to the Australian community. He just plans to do it slowly.
The impact will be the same, a reduced capacity across all government departments and frontline agencies that do everything from manage the tax system, fund schools and hospitals, and look after the aged care and childcare systems. “Dutton still doesn’t get it. Australians value their public service and they recognise that outsourcing core functions to the private sector has been an expensive fiasco that has led to corruption and rorting on a massive scale.
“The Liberals appointed the member for Sturt, James Stevens, to lead their Trump-style cost-cutting venture but he’s nowhere to be seen. The impact of this policy will dent his campaign for re-election in a city where 3,700 jobs are earmarked to be cut, one way or the other, under this retrograde action that will reduce the capacity of the public service at a time when it needs to be boosted.
“Only the Greens have a policy to expand the public service to keep pace with the population and the growing needs in the community, along with a policy to reduce public spending on consultants by 15% a year for the next 5 years.” Facebook for the Australian Greens YouTube for the Australian Greens X for the Australian Greens Instagram for the Australian Greens Bluesky for the Australian Greens Privacy Members website Your safety Contact us Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action In your language 2025 policy platform Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Federal portfolios Federal media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Upcoming events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Green Magazine All news Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Members website State/territory parties Contact us The Greens acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
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