Public Sector Jobs

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (15:31): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question without notice to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector on the topic of public sector jobs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: The federal opposition leader, the Hon. Peter Dutton, has proposed to cut 41,000 jobs from the Australian Public Service as part of the Coalition's election plan. Analysis by Greens Senator Barbara Pocock has revealed that the Coalition's plan equates to approximately 3,700 Australian public sector workers here in South Australia. That is the equivalent of three times the number of workers currently employed by the Whyalla Steelworks and equates to approximately one in four Australian public sector workers here in our state.

My question to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, therefore, is: is the minister concerned about the potential for significant job losses for South Australians under a Dutton government and has the state government done any modelling on support packages that may be required to support workers at risk?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:32): I thank the honourable member for his question and it is a good question, because if we had 40,000 federal public servants cut it would have dire consequences right around the country. Some economists have even talked about the possibility of that alone plunging Australia into recession.

But more than that, it is a perfect illustration of something we know is simply in the DNA of the Liberal Party at state and federal levels. We are seeing this pledge now from the federal Liberal Party to cut 41,000 public sector jobs and let's not forget how ingrained this is in the Liberal Party's DNA. Who can forget the former Leader of the Opposition, Isobel Redmond, in the lead-up to the 2014 state election promising to slash 20,000 state public sector jobs—promising to cut a quarter of the state public sector? This is an intrinsic value of the Liberals in South Australia and across the nation and we are seeing it play out in the federal parliament.

If there is anything we are learning at the moment it is that these Trump-style policies, the DOGE-style cuts, do not resonate with Australians. I know that many members opposite love Trump-style politics: the culture wars and slashing the public sector.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Point of order, Mr President: standing orders specifically rule out opinion.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Excuse me. Order! I am trying to listen to the Hon. Dennis Hood.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: The minister implicated members of the opposition's preference for the President of the United States' policies, which he can't possibly know.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order on the point of order.

The PRESIDENT: I need to rule on the point of order first.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Well, the opinion is specifically to the asking of questions, not to the answering of questions. And a further point of order: the previous Hon. Ben Hood question was laden with opinion about the crime and youth offender rates.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! What I will say is it would be better if you just stuck to the substance. I think drifting off—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: But the opposition has no substance.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am actually speaking, minister. Can you just get on with your answer? I need a couple more questions today; otherwise, we will be short of our quota.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In relation to the honourable member's question about the slashing—of massive public service cuts—the honourable member talked about Whyalla and the way the South Australian government stepped in there and the support that will be needed. The question was directly in relation to what support might be needed if there are these huge job losses right around Australia.

I think it is a good example that the honourable member has used. It wasn't the private sector that stepped in to support the Whyalla Steelworks. It was the government of South Australia with the federal government taking the lead on doing that and ably and essentially supported by public sector agencies, workers who provided all sorts of advice—legal advice, financial advice—about how we can have the steelworks survive.

We do know that if there was a different sort of government in South Australia we would see the Trump-like policies that they are so fond of, meaning you wouldn't have seen that sort of support. You would have seen those cuts, and you will see the cuts no doubt if we see a Liberal—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Based on what?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Based on everything every Liberal Party ever does. That is the main sort of thing. Based on their—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Alright.