How to sack 20,000 Queenslanders (or more)
June 13, 2012


You would expect a fair bit of outrage if a new CEO came on board and promptly sacked between hundreds and thousands of workers. But that's precisely what the new Queensland Premier is set to do, with the explanation of, "Sorry, we can't afford you”.   

No matter whether you are in the private or public sector, that's a lot of employees to push off the payroll.


So how do you media manage such a shock-and-awe strategy when it's aimed against your own workforce? How do you keep the spin playing out in the print and electronic media without risking a public backlash?

Most political messaging is based around three fundamental truths: the simpler the message, the more effective; you can never go wrong mining pre-existing prejudices/stereotypes; and all messaging is layered so you need to keep it rolling out.

What we have seen over the past month is a seven-step strategy designed to – at least in the news cycles – reduce up to 40,000 people to non-productive casual workers.

Step one:   

Start the campaign by running the line that the financial situation is far worse than we were told – a tried-and-true strategy. Underline it with the demand for $100 million in savings/cuts by the end of this financial year. Mix it in with some symbolic cuts of your own – the Premier's Literary Award; funding for Healthy Communities; decisions that affect minority groups who can be easily sidelined. Start talking about some projects that may need to be dumped because of lack of funds. Continue to pound the refined and simplified message of the need for tough decisions for the good of Queensland. Keep the soundbites and spin simple. Don't complicate your message with argument – state it as unchallengeable fact: we can't afford you!

Step two:   

Plant some stories about public sector waste and privileged fat cat bureaucrats. Cancel building projects tagged as “office developments designed to house thousands of public servants”. Build on the perception of massive public expenditure for a privileged few. And top it with the jewel that it's all for the good of the taxpayer.

Feed out the stories about taxpayer-funded golden handshakes. Scrap the “voluntary separation program" which is a pretty safe bet because the offers closed in February before the LNP was elected. Keep that spin on how good this privileged and protected workforce has had it.

If you are wondering how to identify a planted story, look for the over-used “exclusive” badge. A true exclusive is actually rare in Brisbane journalism – which is why hardened media strategists view such claims with a slightly cynical smile. What the term exclusive actually means is that a preferred journalist is given an early copy of a press release or telephone briefing, usually by a media adviser but, if the journalist has the public profile, by the minister or premier (gotta work those egos). It's done on the basis that they write from the release and not seek opposition or other comment – therefore giving you a clear run in the news cycles. It's not a new strategy, but it's a good one.

Step three:   

Make sure you get some big numbers out there in the public arena – something like more than 4000 desk jobs in four years or $320 million to the state's annual wages bill. Don't bother with any context. Devalue the positions as “desk jobs”.

Step four:   

Trivialise the issue with stories about cuts to tea and coffee, the removal of indoor plants and catering budgets. And justify it on the grounds that "all departments were looking for savings”. Public servants I know have told me that the only place you will get free tea, coffee and biscuits are in the ministerial offices. The only place they know where you can get a subsidised three-course meal – cafe-style or silver service – is at Parliament House.

Step five:    

Always make sure that you refer to the workers as "temporary" employees. Of course, "temporary" in the public sector has a far broader meaning than in other areas. Some of these “temporary employees” have been in their jobs for more than a decade. But if you hammer the word "temporary" you turn them from employees into non-productive casual workers. Bring this strategy together with your cheer squads on the news websites and swamp the story with comments. Political strategists have traditionally stacked talkback radio to create the impression of wide spread support. It's the same theory but just more high tech.

Step six:   

This is the really important part – both in political and media terms. Clearly make the difference between frontline and non-frontline staff. What you are saying to the community is the important part of the workforce – those in uniform, nurses, firemen, ambulance staff, those at the front counter - will be immune from the changes. As for the others - the subtext to the political messaging coming out of George Street is that non-essential staff really don't add value and no one is going to care when they go.

Step seven:   

Everyone has a horror story about trying to deal with a faceless bureaucrat, so do your best to exploit this. To do that you have to keep the story fresh and the spin playing like background noise. Continue to mine the mythology about public servants. Politicians are never more at home than when they are playing to community prejudices.

At the end of this you should have a workforce that is shell-shocked and a media and public that are inoculated against what is coming. That's how you sack thousands of staff. It's not recommended for those companies who consider themselves employers of choice but it has certainly worked a treat for the state government.   
comments so far

        Totally accurate. The only question is what can be done to stop the stupidity - especially when it is preceived as popular!

    Commenter
        Ex-insider
    Location
    Date and time
        June 13, 2012, 12:36PM

            @Ex-insider - Thats a fact..but the one missing from this article and can be used for a least 5 years is the previous government..that one always sticks with the believers. Example...1996 Howard - Labor left us with a 96 Billion debt...But Labor inherited 40 billion of that debt from Howard..No blame..just making a point on how things are told, how it is told / reported and what gets pushed into the background by the media and spin doctors. - Cont

        Commenter
            Thats a fact
        Location
        Date and time
            June 13, 2012, 12:52PM


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/how-to-sack-20000-queenslanders-or-more-20120613-209a1.html#ixzz1xeFC42Mn

Quote:



it will be many, many years before they will even come close to being removed from government, thanks to the gross incompetence of the previous labor government.

Who give a flying fat rat's arse if a bunch of lazy public servants get the chop.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 13^th, 2012 at 4:24pm:



Tell him to not listen to you about this matter, as Australia post has nothing what so ever to do with the Queensland government.


Sheeesh

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 13^th, 2012 at 4:38pm:



Yeah


Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Post

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 13^th, 2012 at 4:46pm:


No he can't. He'll have to wait to see if the Lieberals are elected - Joe Hockey is promising to axe about the same number of them, if not more.