House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Public Service Cuts PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly Davenport PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:46): My question is to the Treasurer. What is the latest advice to the Treasurer on how many of the 3,750 jobs targeted in last year's budget have now been cut? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly Playford Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education) (14:47): I do not have the exact number on hand, but it is important to remember that the 3,700-odd jobs that were announced in last year's budget would be reduced partly through TVSPs—through separation packages—and partly through natural attrition. So, as people resign from the public sector, they would not be replaced. I presume what the member for Davenport is getting at is how we are going in terms of people who take up the TVSPs. It is important to remember that the packages have only been on offer since early this year—I think February or March—so it is still early days in terms of establishing how successful those packages have been in attracting people to take them up and to separate from the public sector. Certainly the early data is quite good. I am certainly happy with where it is at, and the advice that I am getting from Treasury is that the numbers are quite good in terms of— Ms Chapman interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —the government meeting its target of a 3,700-odd reduction in TVSPs. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order!