Liberal MP foreshadows plans to cut government services if the Coalition wins election

Newly promoted Liberal MP Joe McCracken has publicly foreshadowed plans to cut government services if the Coalition wins the 2026 election, prompting concern among senior members of the party.

Newly promoted Liberal MP Joe McCracken has publicly foreshadowed plans to cut government services if the Coalition wins government at the 2026 election.

The move has prompted concern among senior Liberals who say Mr McCracken – who was promoted from the back bench to become Shadow Cabinet Secretary earlier this month as part of a restructure by new Opposition Leader Brad Battin – has veered wildly off message.

It comes amid a scare campaign launched by Victorian Labor in which they have dubbed Mr Battin’s new team the “cuts squad” and warned the government services would be gutted if the Coalition were elected to power.

In a wide-ranging interview with libertarian podcast Collectivitis Podcast, published this week, Mr McCracken discussed the inner workings of the party’s recent leadership coup as well as plans to make wholesale changes in government which would likely include cuts to services.

Liberal MP Joe McCracken has warned government services will be cut if the Coalition wins power. Picture: Facebook

“If we are lucky enough to get elected in 2026, we’re going to have $188bn of debt to deal with. How do you deal with that within a practical way,” he said.

“We saw what Campbell Newman did in Queensland, he cut extremely, he probably had to, but he lasted for one term.

“So I guess it’s a really difficult balancing act of how much do you cut, what do you cut, what services can you live without what services can’t (you).

“I’m not even suggesting that Brad’s gonna go in there and say, well we’re gonna cut everything, it’s going to have to be, I suspect, a wholesale audit of what’s going on in government, where can we make efficiencies, where can we stop waste, where can we grow the economy.

“Those are the conversations I think we’re having first.”

Victoria’s public sector wages bill blew out by almost $3bn last year, raising huge concerns that the state is underestimating its costs.

In its most recent budget update, released last month, the government conceded the cost of staffing the government for 2024-25 had quietly been revised to $37.52bn – up from $34.77bn.

Victoria is currently on track to hit $187.8bn in net debt by 2027-28 – of $67,000 for every household – with a $26m-a-day interest bill.

Treasurer Tim Pallas announces his retirement during a press conference with Premier Jacinta Allan. Picture: Aaron Francis

By that time the state would be spending at least $40bn a year on its public sector wages.

Mr McCracken said the public service had become too “comfortable” under Labor.

“They’ve been used to this system, they’ve benefited off it quite significantly … we really do need to make a change as to the whole entire scope and gamut and direction of the government. It’s just how do you make that change,” he said.

But while senior Liberals are privately discussing ways to make the public service more efficient, it is understood they were left concerned by Mr McCracken’s commentary.

“A week after the Labor Party has dubbed us the cuts squad, why would you be out there talking about cuts at all,” one source said.

It is understood concerns have been raised privately with Mr McCracken.

In a recent media release senior minister Lily D’Ambrosio said: “the incompetent and divided Liberal Party under its new right-wing leader Brad Battin has unveiled the Coalition cuts squad who are getting ready to target the frontline services families rely on.”

“It’s a shadow cabinet that will have three main priorities in power: cuts, cuts and cuts,” she said.

Brad Battin and Sam Groth after being voted in as leader and deputy leader. Picture: David Crosling

Mr McCracken also spoke about the inner workings of the recent leadership spill, in which John Pesutto was ousted from the top job.

He said there was a broad view across the party that Mr Pesutto’s handling of the Deeming affair had been fatal.

“I guess broadly speaking, there was a group from across the party that thought this situation has probably got to the end of its path, we need to set a new path, so that’s what happened,” he said.

And he discussed a global movement away from a “sort of leftist woke agenda.”

“I just think it’s gone far enough and the average person there who looks at things, they would sum it up and weigh it up and think, is that fair dinkum, like can a man transition to a woman and then run against a woman in a race?

“Like how is that fair, and it’s those simple sort of scenarios that people weigh up and think, nah I’m actually going to reject that”.