The Public Service Minister has hit back at criticism of the tens of thousands of additional public servants hired under Labor, calling on the Coalition to "be up-front" about how many jobs it would slash.
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, and spokesperson on the public service, Jane Hume, have torn into the headline Average Staffing Level increase of about 36,000 under the Albanese government.
However, they have not explicitly outlined plans for job cuts under a Coalition government - with Mr Dutton indicating he would "re-prioritise Canberra-centric" funding to Defence and other priorities.
Katy Gallagher went head-to-head with Senator Hume in Senate estimates on Thursday evening, with the pair clashing on whether the increase affected the ACT senator's "electoral chances".
"If you're going to continue to focus on it, I think you have to come clean on [whether you're] going to sack people from [the Department of Veterans' Affairs] who are now getting money to veterans," said Senator Gallagher, who is also Finance Minister.
"This budget, veterans payments go up by $6 billion across five years because veterans are actually not waiting for their compensation payment, because people are dealing with their claims.
"NDIA? Are you not going to support the 4000 new jobs in Defence and Home Affairs and the AFP that have been brought on?"
![Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher, left, and opposition spokesperson on the public service Jane Hume, right, clashed over expenditure in estimates. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher, left, and opposition spokesperson on the public service Jane Hume, right, clashed over expenditure in estimates. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/143258707/d3db5459-2389-4d4a-8ca6-af007c668f4c.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But her Liberal counterpart did not back down, claiming the increase to the public service "is probably helping your electoral chances", in reference to the 67,000 bureaucrats who live and work in the ACT.
"It has nothing to do with my electoral chances, it has absolutely [nothing to do with it]," Senator Gallagher fired back.
"Two thirds of the APS are not in Canberra, this is about resourcing a public service properly to do the job well."
The increase in staffing is part of Labor's election commitment to rebuild public service capability and deflate ballooning spends on outsourced labour.
Labor says it's putting public servants 'on the books'
An audit of employment in the 2021-22 financial year, found the Morrison government had spent $20.8 billion on an outsourced workforce of nearly 54,000.
Senator Gallagher has said the government is committed to putting this workforce "on the books", including by converting about 8700 roles previously done by contractors or labour hire to APS positions.
As the government has made cuts to reliance on outsourced labour, totalling an expected $4 billion in savings by 2028-29, it has increased the size of the service.
But Senator Hume pressed why the government had previously told The Canberra Times it did not "expect significant additional public servants going forward".
But growth in the 2024-25 financial year exceeded 10,000 roles promised in the 2023-24 year, with the public service set to grow by another 12,000 roles.
The budget papers also said about 5000 additional ASL had been injected in the 2023-24 financial year, on top of the initial estimates.
"I think the work of government continues," Senator Gallagher said, with Senator Hume adding, "It does, exponentially."
Senator Gallagher continued, "The more we learn and the more we unpack, and the more we identify terminating staffing positions, we have to respond to that."
The Public Service Minister later said: "I believe the public service is adequately resourced
"The other thing that matters to me are the outcomes that are being delivered to the Australian community," she said, listing improvements in Services Australia, Veterans Affairs and visa processing.
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In a statement after estimates, Senator Hume called the public service "bloated".
"At a time when Australian businesses and households are needing to show restraint on their own Budgets, it is outrageous that the Albanese Government is out throwing money around for bureaucrats that are not needed," she said.
"This is not spending taxpayers' money wisely or prudently. It shows a complete lack of respect of where that money comes from."