FUTURE NT: Labor, CLP rule out post-election public service job cuts

The bosses of one of the Territory’s biggest businesses have spoken out about the public service. Read what they want.

With the Territory’s public service making up 15 per cent of the total workforce - compared to 10 per cent in NSW and Victoria - the bureaucracy is a crucial component of the Territory’s population picture.

And with an election in six week’s time, the bosses of one of the Territory’s biggest companies have a message around retention for whichever political party wins government.

Steve Margetic and Michael Sitzler from Sitzler have warned against cutting the public service post-election, pointing to the devastating impacts of 2012 cuts by then chief minister Terry Mills.

Despite denying the cuts were political, six experienced and regarded Labor government chief executives lost their jobs including Treasury secretary Jennifer Prince, Public Service Commissioner Graham Symons and Department of Lands and Planning chief executive Dr David Ritchie.

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The Sitzler chiefs want to get more from the public service, not less, and have called on both major party leaders to hold on to government employees.

“We need departmental chief executives that are absolutely committed to the mandate of getting results when opportunities come through and they would walk it through their departments to make sure their staff are doing their assessments,” Mr Margetic said.

“They should be solving the problems, addressing the challenge and not just kicking the can down the road.

“There’s an election coming up and we can’t lose one of them, we need everyone of them to stay. We need to refocus the public service to be able to deliver on the Territory’s needs for the next decade.

“It gets back to when the razor gang went in and just decimated the public service. They nailed it. We’re not big enough to do that sort of stuff.

“Everyone in the Territory is passionate about being in the Territory. Everybody deals with the government of the day so it doesn’t make a lot of difference. The public service has got to be able to do their jobs.”

Michael Sitzler too is concerned at the potential for loss of talent.

“We lost a lot of expertise with those cuts,” he said. “We lost some really good people and we cannot afford to lose any of the capacity and knowledge that exists within the public service. That’s something I’m fearful about this election.”

In response the leaders of both parties pledged to not cut the public service after the August poll.

“My government will never take an axe to critical public services and sack hundreds of hardworking nurses, teachers, doctors, police and fireys,”Chief Minister Eva Lawler said.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro also ruled out cuts if the CLP wins.

“The Territory needs a strong public service that works with the private sector to deliver better outcomes for all Territorians. I am saying to every single public servant out there – we value the work you do and your jobs are safe with the CLP.

“The CLP is committed to the NT public service. There will be no cuts to the public service and there will be no asset sales.”

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