PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:31): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question on the subject of public service numbers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On 18 September, I asked the leader the following question: how many public servants have been cut from her portfolio over the last three years and how many more public servants have to be cut from her portfolio over the forward estimates under the current budget parameters? The minister said, in part:

All of these figures have been tabled in our budget document.

It was open and transparent. She then went on to say:

I reiterate that the cuts this government has made and has planned to make are nowhere near the one in four that this Liberal opposition intends to make if it gets into government.

It has now been revealed that over the last two budget years, in the minister's portfolio, 158 full-time equivalents have been cut, or the equivalent of 13.5 per cent, of PIRSA's then workforce. It has also been revealed that over the forward estimates period a further 133 full-time equivalents, or another 12.9 per cent, of PIRSA's workforce is to be cut, giving a total of approximately 25 per cent of the workforce that has been cut or will be cut over the forward estimates period. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister now acknowledge that over the last two financial years 13.5 per cent of PIRSA's workforce, or 158 full-time equivalents, have been cut?

2. Does the minister acknowledge that over the forward estimates period a further 133 full-time equivalents, or 12.9 per cent, of PIRSA's workforce are to be cut?

3. Does the minister acknowledge that approximately 25 per cent, or one in four, of PIRSA's workforce has been cut in the last two years or will be cut over the forward estimates period?

4. Does the minister accept that she misled the council when she said on 18 September, 'I reiterate that the cuts this government has made and has planned to make are nowhere near the one in four'?

5. Will the minister now apologise to the council for misleading it?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:33): I have made the figures and numbers available to the council. I have put them on the public record. I am not going to waste the time of this chamber doing that again. This government has been open and transparent in what we do, and all of that is on the public record. We know the opposition's intention, if they come into government, is somewhere between 25,000 to 30,000 cuts in the public sector. We know that is what they intend to do. We also know that the Hon. Rob Lucas is notorious for coming into this chamber time and time again with incorrect and inaccurate information that is taken out of context.

We know that he comes into this place time and again and misrepresents the facts over and over. So, I will not accept anything he says in this place. I will not accept anything he says or any of the assumptions he makes because we know he is notorious for coming into this place and misrepresenting the facts and distorting the truth time and again.