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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 942 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

That is 5,600 retrenchments in just one year under the previous Labor Government, and that was far from one-off. The same publication shows that in 1993-94 there were 2,636 retrenchments; in 1992-93 the figure was 2,655 retrenchments. In fact, in the last seven years a total of 18,000 Commonwealth public servants have been retrenched by the Hawke and Keating governments. The figures tabled show that 18,000 Commonwealth public servants have been retrenched under Federal Labor governments over the last seven years.

Where were Mr Berry, Mr Whitecross and Ms Follett when these massive redundancy programs were under way? They did not make a comment. There was no crisis then, no view that this was an economic crisis, doom and gloom, and we were all doomed. They were absolutely silent. There were no protests. In fact, the then Chief Minister, Rosemary Follett, said - and again I think I can table it, because we do not quote things we cannot source:

... the Commonwealth will undertake the same sort of process of efficiency that we have undertaken in the Territory and that all other governments are also undertaking.

That is it. Mr Speaker, I think I might say that again:

... the Commonwealth -

that is the previous Federal Labor Government - - -

Mr De Domenico: Ms Follett is saying this?

MRS CARNELL: This is Ms Follett saying this:

... the Commonwealth will undertake the same sort of process of efficiency that we have undertaken in the Territory and that all other governments are also undertaking.

There is a fascinating change of heart today. As recently as last year, when the Federal budget was brought down, the then Public Service Minister, Gary Johns, indicated that another 4,000 jobs would have to go from the APS. Once again, where was the crisis? Where was the absolute shock, horror, doom and gloom from those opposite? There was absolutely nothing, Mr Speaker.

We heard from Mr Whitecross a whole heap of figures, speculation on the size of the Howard cuts. At the moment, it appears that the new Federal coalition Government is proposing to go beyond the cut of 2,500 jobs promised in the campaign - something that no person, at least on this side of the house, is happy about; something that we will not be quiet about, as those opposite were absolutely quiet when it was done by the previous Labor Government. One of the problems is that we do not know how big these cuts are going to be or, for that matter, where they could end up. Mr Whitecross indicated somehow that cuts to the Australian Public Service that are based upon duplication will inevitably be in the ACT. What about all the regional offices? That does not mean that I am happy about it; I am not. But we are not attempting to rewrite history.

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