Victoria’s public sector is ballooning faster than private employment ranks

THOUSANDS of new workers employed by the Andrews’ government have cost taxpayers an extra $1.6 billion this year. Here’s how the public service is growing faster than Victoria’s private sector.

Victorian State Treasurer Tim Pallas makes the 2016 Budget speech in Parliament with MP Jacinta Allan and Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Stuart McEvoy.

VICTORIA’S public service is booming under the Andrews Government with thousands of new workers costing taxpayers an extra $1.6 billion per year.

The government workforce has ballooned faster than the private sector for the past three financial years, according to the latest Victoria’s Auditor General financial report tabled in Parliament today.

The government ranks swelled by more than 4200 workers over the period, hitting 238,928 full time jobs as of June 2017.

The Andrews Government has employed thousands of new workers costing taxpayers an extra $1.6 billion per year. Picture: Nicole Garmston.

Government workers also saw bigger pay packets with wage rises outstripping other Victorian industries.

The report acknowledged the unprecedented public sector growth was of concern, however overall Victoria’s financial position was positive with “the State continue (ing) to operate sustainably and is well positioned financially.”

Opposition Shadow Treasurer Michael O’Brien slammed the luging public sector.

“The Auditor General has called out Daniel Andrews’ unsustainable explosion in bureaucracy,” he said.

“Labor is bloating public service numbers with inflated wages compared to the private sector. No wonder Victoria has the highest taxes in the country; Daniel Andrews is paying off his fat cat union mates.”

Treasurer Tim Pallas has previously defended the government’s wages policy saying it was “broadly the same as the previous governments”.

“This is a government that invests in the things that matter to Victorians — that means more nurses, more teachers, more firefighters, and more police.”

Community and Public Sector Union Victoria Secretary Karen Batt said the Coalition was being hypocritical.

“Mr O’Brien spent $300m on redundancies cutting 6000 public sector jobs in three years 2011-14 then spent $500 million on labour hire to do their work,” she said.

“Previous government hid thousands of hours of contract and labour hire employment and wasted millions of dollars by paying double the cost for work.”

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