When presenting his proposal for budget cuts and a wage freeze to public sector union representatives tomorrow, Premier David Bartlett must first set out exactly how he will cut State Government waste, State Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said today.
The State Opposition has already identified several key areas where waste can be significantly reduced. These include:
Slashing government advertising bills Reducing travel by both a cheaper seats air travel policy across the public sector, and more strategic use of video conferencing Require all ministerial overseas travel to first pass a strict 'public benefit' test Cut political adviser positions, especially when one minister's chief of staff earns around $200,000 - more than the Premier's own chief of staff These are just a few examples where immediate action can be taken. There are other initiatives, such as implementing workable car pooling for the many State Government employees who travel between major centres in their work.
Having finally woken up to the significant fiscal challenges facing the State's revenue, David Bartlett must work with the public sector unions to save every public service job. A wage freeze is much better than shedding positions.
The Premier must clearly demonstrate leadership and to seriously tackle waste and boost efficiency before a single public sector position is dispensed with or a wage freeze is imposed.
