PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:16): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house about the level of attrition in the public sector?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:16): This has become a subject of some importance in the public debate because of the discussion kicked off by the Leader of the Opposition last week. The Leader of the Opposition maintained that, because there are 12,000 retirements each year from the public sector, significant reductions could be achieved through attrition.

Of course, the people of Queensland will be familiar with this pre-election refrain of reducing numbers through attrition, but I do wish to inform the house that this 12,000 retirement figure is, in fact, a fiction. Remember, this was offered as the explanation when the Leader of the Opposition ran into some choppy waters last week. It is possible that there are 12,000 people leaving particular positions in the public sector each year, but a large number of these are moving from one position to another.

I am advised that the attrition rate from the public sector is only 7 per cent, which means that 7,000 employees or 6,000 full-time equivalents leave the public sector each year; that is, about half the number of people leave the public sector as the opposition has relied upon in developing their policy position. This error, I think, just highlights their continued evidence of a lack of preparation for office.

Moreover, when you look at the composition of that attrition, we see the absurdity of relying upon attrition in a workforce as diverse as the public sector as the basis for reductions. For instance, if we were not to replace any staff from attrition each year, we would lose 1,050 nurses, 500 doctors, 400 teachers—

Mrs Redmond: I never suggested that.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —400 school service officers and 100 police officers. Remember this was the thing that was relied upon to get their reductions, it is alleged. Over the four-year term of a Redmond government, we would lose more than 4,000 nurses, 2,000 doctors—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker!

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: This is hypothetical, Madam Speaker, and it is totally wrong.

The SPEAKER: I am not sure what your point of order is but, Premier, I refer you back to the question.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Over the four-year term of a Liberal government, we would lose more than 4,000 nurses, almost 2,000 doctors, almost 400 police officers—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —over 1,500 teachers and more than 1,500 school service officers. I am certain that the electorate would like to understand which hospitals, which schools and which police stations the opposition believes should take these losses. In the policy and administrative areas, it is perhaps a little unlikely that there would be a nice even spread of retirements matching the areas of lower priority that presumably any sensible policy would identify. It is more likely that you would have a Swiss cheese effect.

I think what we are seeing here is evidence of the simple truth, that the Liberal Party in South Australia lacks the experience and competence to be an effective opposition, let alone an alternative government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Norwood, order! The Leader of the Opposition.