Labor vows to support jobs in public service as flood ravaged communities receive government grants

The federal government has taken aim at the Opposition over its plans to slash the public service after millions in disaster assistance claims were processed.

Gabrielle Bube outside her unit which was inundated by floodwater. She was one of many people in Ingham to be impacted by floodwaters. Picture: Evan Morgan

The federal government has taken aim at the Opposition over its plan to slash the public service after flood claims worth almost $4m have been processed after the natural disaster that ravaged parts of North Queensland.

This comes after LNP leader Peter Dutton repeatedly committed to cutting public service jobs – but is yet to say what services they would come from.

Labor say post the deluge, which led to both flash and prolonged flooding in the North, public servants have also helped about 500 people in-person.

LNP Opposition leader Peter Dutton on the ground in Ingham with Mayor Ramon Jayo.

The federal and state governments have offered grants to flood-affected communities, however some people had reported difficulty in receiving assistance.

Many of those people were asked to request assistance in person, in flood affected communities, or to call and ask for help.

There has also been criticism from the LNP over who qualifies for grants, with Herbert MP Phillip Thompson repeatedly calling for the government to provide assistance with blanket acceptance for impacted local government areas.

Labor says cutting public service jobs would have made responding to the crisis extremely difficult.

Cordelia resident Camille O'Sullivan stands in her backyard next to the Herbert River. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Dutton has vowed to cut jobs in areas that he called “culture, diversity and inclusion” roles within the public service if his party wins government in the looming federal election.

Since Labor came into government, they have added about 4000 jobs to Services Australia, which includes Centrelink, and thousands of other roles have been filled in Defence, Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Trade, among others.

Rural firefighters from southern Queensland, SA and NSW help clean up. Davidson Street. Picture: Evan Morgan

They also added 1000 jobs at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to help clear the backlog of claims that were sometimes taking years to be approved.

The government says without these jobs, services that North Queensland communities rely on, like veterans claims, newborn baby registration delays, and longer times on hold with Centrelink, would be have slowed the natural disaster response.

There are more than 34,000 residents with pension cards in Townsville, almost 13,000 with a healthcare card, and almost 12,000 people receiving Department of Veteran’s Affairs assistance.

Katy Gallagher hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher, who was touring the state this week, said a plan to slash public servant positions would put Queensland “at risk”.

“When families are already doing it tough, the last thing they need are delays to crucial government payments,” she said.

Ingham CBD. Picture: Cameron Bates

Cairns-based Senator Nita Green said public servants “work incredibly hard”.

“You can see that especially when disasters strike,” she said.

Herbert’s Labor candidate Edwina Andrew said public service jobs needed to be protected.

“Proudly, there are around 2,000 Townsville residents who work in our public service, looking after other locals and ensuring that top quality services are provided,” she said.

Originally published as Labor vows to support jobs in public service as flood ravaged communities receive government grants