Public sector adds 1000 more workers despite hiring freeze
The government has said necessary frontline workers being recruited to fight the pandemic has led to another year of the NT’s public sector growing.
Northern Territory
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A FREEZE on public sector hiring in the Northern Territory has apparently failed, with the NT government adding over 1000 new employees to its ranks over the last financial year.
In the latest State of the Service annual report, tabled to parliament through the week, Public Employment Commissioner Vicki Telfer said the public service had a headcount of 24,612.
That’s an increase of 1022 employees on last financial year’s report, which said there were 23590 employees in the service. In 2019-20, the public service added over 3000 employees.
The increase comes despite a public sector cap to try control the growth of the public service.
A number of other measures have been implemented to try and keep a reign on the growing cost of the NT public sector, including a four-year wage freeze and the threat of sacking for departmental chiefs who run overbudget.
Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby said the government had needed more employees to deal with the pandemic.
“We do know that we have seen some unprecedented times and within the frontline workers, within health and police there have been some increases and we certainly understand why that has to be done at a time like this,” Mr Kirby said.
Across the rest of the departments I think you’ll find that they have been quite constrained that growth has been quite low in those other areas and CEs have been doing their absolute best to maintain those caps and we absolutely applaud them for doing that.”
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the public service was vital and did not want to see it cut, but was concerned about Labor allowing the “public sector to balloon”.
“In 2018, the Chief Minister promised a hiring freeze and these figures prove, yet again, Territorians can’t trust a single thing the Gunner Labor government says,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
“Michael Gunner is racking up the salaries of these additional positions on the credit card because he simply can’t afford them.
Ms Finocchiaro said growing the public service put the sustainability of the NT government at risk.
“This is the level of contempt the Chief Minister has for the public service.”
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