Labor Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis outlines the State Government’s election costings

MORE than 50 public service bosses would go but the jobs of middle managers and frontline workers would be safe under Labor election costings, Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis says.

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MORE than 50 public service bosses would go but the jobs of middle managers and frontline workers would be safe under Labor election costings, the Treasurer says.

Ahead of Saturday’s vote, Tom Koutsantonis has promised to cut the number of public service executives by 10 per cent — or about 52 positions — to save about $41 million.

This comes on top of savings targets set in the mid-year budget update, delivered in December, which required government agencies to make cuts of about 1 per cent across the board. That was due to save about $130 million a year.

Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis arrives to outline Labor’s election costings to the media ahead of Saturday’s vote. Picture: AAP / David Mariuz

Those savings could include job cuts, but decisions about where to cut back would be left to department chiefs.

Mr Koutsantonis stressed that frontline workers — such as teachers or nurses, or middle management positions, such as those responsible for writing the school curriculum — would not face the axe.

Labor will spend more than $552 million on new promises over the next four years, and borrow about $1.9 billion to deliver on commitments including to build new tram tracks, upgrade intersections and provide laptops for high school students.

To make savings, in addition to the executive sackings, Mr Koutsantonis will impose extra targets of:

2.25 PER CENT on SA Water’s $520-odd million operations budget, expected to claw back about $55 million over four years.

1.25 PER CENT on the bill for government stock and materials purchases, expected to save about $60 million a year.

Mr Koutsantonis said the State Government spent $4.9 billion buying goods and services last financial year but public servants could drive a harder bargain.

“We buy laptops, drugs and medical equipment, pens and pads for schools, we purchase a lot of steel and concrete,” he said.

“We think we can go out and use our purchasing power to get a better deal.”

Mr Koutsantonis said works to remove seven train level crossings across Adelaide would all “start” within the next four years but may not be finished.

In contrast, he criticised the Liberals for committing to “no new infrastructure spending” which he said would result in “a hit to jobs”.