Premier

Victorian Workers On The Liberal Chopping Block

15 November 2017

Michael O’Brien has confirmed that as part of the Liberal Party’s proposed ‘Commission of Audit’ – frontline public sector workers will once again face the Liberal chopping block as part of their agenda of cuts.

Attacking the Andrews Labor Government for having boosted the numbers of public sector workers including teachers, police officers, nurses, corrections officers, custody officers and paramedics – Mr O’Brien bizarrely claimed this was bloating the public service.

The development follows Matthew Guy’s declaration that the Liberals will undertake a ‘Commission of Audit’ if they win the next election.

A recent media report states:

“If Matthew Guy wins the election and becomes premier next year, the opposition has promised to undertake a cost audit and a review within the first 100 days of forming government.” Sunday Herald Sun, 15 October 2017

The Liberal Party just can’t help themselves – it’s part of their DNA. When in power they sacked over 6,000 public sector workers and smashed their way through Victoria’s services, including:

⦁ Ripping almost $1 billion out of schools and axing the Educational Maintenance Allowance and School Start Bonus
⦁ Slashing over $1 billion from TAFE, with campuses closed across Victoria and 2,400 teachers sacked
⦁ Cutting funding to ambulances and hospitals that saw a blow out in ambulance response times and hospital waiting lists
⦁ Sacking 4,200 public servants and closing dozens of offices that were delivering frontline government services
⦁ Cutting 400 staff from Victoria Police including essential forensic experts
⦁ Ripped $120 million from V/Line and developed secret plan to cut 100 jobs.

Not even babies and young children were safe from the Liberals’ cuts, with the whooping cough vaccination program cruelly cut.

Now the Liberals and Matthew Guy want to do it all over again – starting with teachers, child protection workers, corrections officers and police officers recruited by the Labor Government as they seek to once again gut the public service.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll

“Michael O’Brien has let the cat out of the bag – no public sector worker will be safe from their planned cuts.”

“Whether it’s boosting police numbers, child protection officers, nurses or paramedics, the Labor Government will always put people first and make the investments that Victoria needs.”

“Cutting services is in the Liberal Party’s DNA – Jeff Kennett cut services, Ted Baillieu cut services, Denis Napthine cut services, and Matthew Guy will too.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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