Public Sector Jobs

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector on the topic of public sector jobs and services cuts.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The Dutton federal opposition has stated that if they get into government 4,100 public sector federal jobs are for the chop over the next five years. The departments have not been identified but could include, and probably would include, health and aged care, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, social services, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and Services Australia would all likely see significant cuts under the Dutton plan. My question to the minister is: how will this impact on services and jobs in the public sector here in South Australia?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for her question. In a single word, devastating. To cut so deeply and so quickly so many jobs would be devastating on a couple of fronts: firstly, as the honourable member has identified, on those critical services that so many people come to rely upon. You don't need to look very far to understand what effect that would have on us as a country and as a society when you see the cuts that are being made in the US. There are cuts to things like cancer research, cuts to things that desperately affect the wellbeing of people in the US every day.

With such significant cuts in Australia you would see that repeated here in this country. It would have a very significant impact on many, many people's lives. But, importantly as well, with such a big cut to the workforce it would have a very significant impact on those individuals, those families and economies in Canberra but right around Australia where there are thousands and thousands of public sector workers employed.

You don't need to look very far either in this country to see how the Liberals value jobs and job creation in Australia. It would have a devastating impact, cutting that deep into the public sector. As we talked about earlier this week, it is a proposal that we know the state Liberal Party supports. It was let out of the bag when Isobel Redmond was the opposition leader, but if you need to see a demonstration, not just in the public sector but in the economy more broadly, we cast our minds back to 2013 when Joe Hockey, as Treasurer, dared Holden to leave the country.

I think there were six words, 'Either you're here or you're not,' he said in parliament in 2013. The very next day Holden announced that they were leaving. They were shutting up shop in Australia. I think at the time it was just under 2,000 direct jobs and many multiples of those numbers of jobs here in Adelaide that were lost because of the actions of the then federal Liberal government cutting jobs here in Adelaide. We saw the effect that had on South Australia, the massive efforts the then Weatherill Labor government invested to make sure those jobs were able to be transformed. It is—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order, Mr President: I can't hear the answer. If I can't hear it, I am sure you can't hear it.

The PRESIDENT: Actually, I am a bit closer than you but—

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: It was my question and I would like an answer in question time.

The PRESIDENT: The minister will be heard in silence. Come on, minister. We have had nine questions so far. Hurry up.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It is testament to the work of Labor governments cleaning up the mess that Liberal governments have created. I think something like 80 per cent of those workers for Holden in the supply chain found jobs after the closure of Holden. We don't want to have to see Labor governments clean up Liberal governments' messes again with these massive, massive job cuts to the federal public sector. We know it's in their DNA and we know what will happen if ever South Australians are unfortunate enough that they get on the treasury benches again.