Australian Politics Forum - Australia is drowning in public servants:

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 103841
Melbourne
Gender: male

Australia is drowning in public servants:
May 24^th, 2024 at 7:22pm

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://www.spectator.com....

12 November 2021

November 11, 2021:

the day the great war against the private sector was won

Stephen Spartacus

Without the slightest hint of irony, the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday released the latest Employment and Earnings, Public Sector data for Australia. On the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Australians learned about how many people work for our bureaucratic leviathan.

The data showed the war was over. The Australian private sector has clearly been defeated. The war is over and government has, as in the old joke about auditors, come in and bayoneted the wounded. For all the economic damage of Covid, it is party, party, party in the public, public sector.

To paraphrase the words of Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Stalin to his friends), a single private sector destroyed job is a tragedy; a million destroyed jobs is a statistic. So, let’s go to the statistics.

In the 12 months to end June 2021,
the number of public sector employees across the three levels of Australian
(Commonwealth, State and Local) government increased by 3% to 2.1 million.

Yes. In a country where the working age population is 12.5 million,
2.1 million people work for the government.
One in six people.

Let’s put that in context:

It’s four times the population of Tasmania.

Nine times the population of the Northern Territory.

Five times the population of the ACT.

One and a half times the population of Adelaide.

More than the population of Perth.

But as bad as this sounds, it’s really worse. Much, much worse.

These numbers don’t include overseas posted diplomats or those in the military. It does not include “off-balance sheet” employees such as those working for government business enterprises such as the NBN, Australia Post or the Clean Energy Finance Corporation or various state government (still) owned energy companies.

Excluded also are ABC and SBS staff and those whose jobs only exist because of government such as lobbyists and the compliance industrial complex. For the cherry top, it does not include those in the multi-billion-dollar consulting industry that feeds off the taxpayers. That includes you, KPMG.

Back to top

« Last Edit: May 24^th, 2024 at 7:28pm by Bobby. »

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 103841
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Australia is drowning in public servants:
Reply #1 - May 24^th, 2024 at 7:22pm

cont ..

There is of course no aggregate data on such “jobs” people, but Australians should not be surprised if one in three or four adult Australians work for or because of Government.

Give the collective near two trillion dollars of combined Commonwealth and State government debt, it is clear that our governments have outgrown the private sector and have decided to confiscate from the future, from our children, grandchildren and beyond. A whole new meaning to intergenerational equity.

Yet notwithstanding the expanding rings of government-related employment,
the collective cash wages and salaries increased for
these 2.1 million public servants by 5% to $183 billion.
Billion with a B.

And notably also, these numbers don’t include post 1 July 2021 pay rises or new roles created. Nor does this include all the additional on-costs associated such as rent, insurance, Cartier watches or chartered planes to Glasgow or Paris.

But Victorians should fret not. Its public sector had a great pandemic.

Victorian public sector total wages and salaries increased by 9% reflecting both increased costs and an extra 19,000 public servants. This compared very well with a national (State and Territory) wages and salaries increase of 5%.

Did the Victorian economy grow by 9%? No. Did the Victorian population grow by 9%? No. But the cost of the Victorian public sector grew that much. So many achievements for the Andrews government to be proud of in addition to the world’s longest citizen lockdown (or was that lock up?).

In another positive sign for the prospects for Australia’s private sector, it is reported that business, accounting and finance graduates are flooding to work for the public sector. Sort of ironic that there are fewer business or finance jobs in business or finance any more.

Australians are like slow boiling frogs. We are on the road to Venezuela without noticing. Or is that Venez-stralia.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby. Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 103841 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #2 - May 24^th, 2024 at 7:34pm wow - no wonder taxes are so high and that we're in so much debt. Not enough people are actually working to make money - too many are only costing money.
Back to top	IP Logged

chimera Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 11277 armidale Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #3 - May 24^th, 2024 at 7:34pm So 1 servant for each 6 people then? I'd like to know the name of mine and thank her.
Back to top	« Last Edit: May 24^th, 2024 at 7:43pm by chimera » IP Logged

Bobby. Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 103841 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #4 - May 24^th, 2024 at 7:37pm chimera wrote on May 24^th, 2024 at 7:34pm: So 1 servant for each 5 people then? I'd like to know the name of mine and thank her. yes - 1 in 6 people but then add on 1 to 2 million on the dole or DSP and it's only 2 in 3 people are working in an actual job making money.
Back to top	« Last Edit: May 24^th, 2024 at 7:52pm by Bobby. » IP Logged

chimera Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 11277 armidale Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #5 - May 24^th, 2024 at 7:48pm That leaves 15 million who could be on OzPol but aren't.
Back to top	IP Logged

Bobby. Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 103841 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #6 - May 24^th, 2024 at 8:01pm chimera wrote on May 24^th, 2024 at 7:48pm: That leaves 15 million who could be on OzPol but aren't. yes - it means that Ozpol should have far more members - they are all on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Back to top	IP Logged

John Smith Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 74365 Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #7 - May 24^th, 2024 at 8:16pm Still not enough. We still need more nurses, police and teachers. Pity Goober is sooooo stupid.
Back to top	Our esteemed leader: I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus. IP Logged

Agnes.. Senior Member Offline Porco Rosso Posts: 435 Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #8 - May 24^th, 2024 at 8:25pm Ok then WHO is GOOBER- I thought that was you smiffy- you are talking about Pecca aren't you? I don't think Pecca is stupid either.
Back to top	Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave !! IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 103841
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Australia is drowning in public servants:
Reply #9 - May 24^th, 2024 at 8:27pm

https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/gallagher/2024/rebuilding-and-rebalancing-public-se...

Labor defends their massive public service:

Rebuilding and rebalancing public service critical for Australia's future

Release Date: Monday 6 May 2024

Opinion

Canberra Times

Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher is the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service

Investments have been made in the Australian Public Service in the past two years.

More staff have been employed,

service standards are improving, and the reliance on external labour is decreasing - delivering much needed savings across the budget.

We have employed more permanent public servants to rebuild and improve the APS at the same time as reducing the APS's reliance on costly external labour like consultants, contractors or labour hire workers.

Next week's Budget will include a further saving of $1 billion from the reduction of the public service's spending on consultants and contractors.

Together with the $3 billion in savings delivered in the 2022-23 October Budget, that brings the total savings on contractors and consultants to $4 billion.

And with our reforms, government spending this financial year on Australia's biggest consultancies is $624 million less than the comparable period under the last year of the Morrison government.

When the Albanese government came to office in May 2022, we inherited a public service that had been hollowed out after a decade of outsourcing, underinvestment and undervaluing of the work that public servants do and the services they deliver.

The APS of 2022 was short of staff and over reliant on external labour.

Service standards were in decline and there had been serious failures in public administration like Robodebt. In one case, consultants sat on the management committee of a government department.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 103841
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Australia is drowning in public servants:
Reply #10 - May 24^th, 2024 at 9:03pm

https://the-riotact.com/taylor-dutton-in-step-over-aps-numbers-but-not-migration...

24 May 2024

Dutton,
“The important point here is this – we do not think that now is the time to add 36,000 Commonwealth public servants…

“Ultimately, it is households and businesses that pay the taxes that pay for those public servants.”

In his budget reply speech to parliament last week, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton attacked the government’s spending on public servants, saying it provided for 36,000 new public sector jobs over the forward estimates.

Mr Dutton wants defence spending to be the priority.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 103841
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Australia is drowning in public servants:
Reply #11 - May 24^th, 2024 at 9:24pm

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-22/angus-taylor-shadow-treasurer-budget-repl...

Wed 22 May 2024

Would the Coalition reintroduce the APS staffing cap?

Wed, 1:26pm

By Andrew Thorpe

The Canberra Times' Dana Daniel is up next, with a question near and dear to her readers' hearts — the size of the public service, and whether the Coalition would reintroduce the APS staffing cap.
The Canberra Times' Dana Daniel.(ABC News)

She also asks whether the opposition wants to decentralise the public service by moving agencies out of Canberra, à la the APVMA.

Angus Taylor MP Liberal Party

Quote:

"All good questions, and be patient," (Taylor jokes.)

"More detail on those numbers will be forthcoming. The important point here is this: we do not think that now is the time to add 36,000 Commonwealth public servants."

Back to top

IP Logged

Laugh till you cry Gold Member Offline Posts: 16619 In your happy place Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #12 - May 25^th, 2024 at 12:10am They are from the government and have come to help you, Bobby. The black ones too.
Back to top	Please don't thank me. Effusive fawning and obeisance of disciples, mendicants, and foot-kissers embarrass me. IP Logged

John Smith Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 74365 Gender:	Re: Australia is drowning in public servants: Reply #13 - May 25^th, 2024 at 8:34am Agnes.. wrote on May 24^th, 2024 at 8:25pm: Ok then WHO is GOOBER- I thought that was you smiffy- you are talking about Pecca aren't you? I don't think Pecca is stupid either. We both know you don't think.
Back to top	Our esteemed leader: I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus. IP Logged

philperth2010

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 20240
Perth
Gender: male

Re: Australia is drowning in public servants:
Reply #14 - May 25^th, 2024 at 9:07am

Bobby. wrote on May 24^th, 2024 at 7:22pm:

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://www.spectator.com....

November 11, 2021:

the day the great war against the private sector was won

The Coalition were in power from 2013 to 2022....Why are you blaming Labor for the increased public service when it occured during the Coalition term Bobby???

Huh

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963), "Proper Studies", 1927

Back to top

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

IP Logged