Peter Dutton confirms Coalition government would not initiate spending audit, doesn’t identify areas for public service job cuts

Peter Dutton has said he would not launch an independent probe to target areas to reduce government spending, despite continued attacks on Labor’s expenditure.

Peter Dutton has said a re-elected Coalition government would not launch an independent inquiry to identify areas of inflated government spending, despite the opposition mounting continued attacks on Labor’s expenditure and pledging to reduce government inefficiency in the lead up to the election.

Appearing on ABC’s Insiders, the Opposition leader said he would not follow former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott in promising a National Commission of Audit style inquiry, to identify savings and sustainability issues, and instead his government would do it themselves.

“We’re not having a similar style audit, but many of us have sat around the expenditure review committee. I was assistant treasurer to Peter Costello many years ago. We know what we’re doing,” he said.

“We’re able to hit the ground running, and we’ve worked with the departments, with many of the departmental heads that are there now, and I have no doubt that we’ll be able to find where Labor has put fat into the system that is not helping do anything but drive inflation.”

Peter Dutton said he would not call for an independent audit of government spending, stating: ‘We know what we’re doing’. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

While Mr Dutton pledged to cut “wasteful spending,” flagging an influx of 36,000 Canberra-based public servants which he said taxed the budget bottom line with an extra $6bn of recurring expenditure, he didn’t identify specific areas or departments where he would cut staff.

He also stressed essential “frontline positions” would be protected.

“There are 36,000 additional places that have been put on. I made the point in my speech on Friday that we protect frontline positions, but we’re not going to allow the public service to balloon,” he said.

“I don’t think any Australian can say that their lives are easier in terms of their interactions with government agencies because of 36,000 new public servants being employed in Canberra.”

Mr Dutton’s comments mirrors similar calls flagged by Elon Musk, who leads Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, and has pledged to cut $2 trillion (AU$3.21 trillion) from the $7 trillion (AU$11.23) US budget.

In a key speech on Friday, Mr Dutton also took aim at “culture, diversity and inclusion advisers, change managers and internal communication specialists,” stating the roles did nothing to “improve the lives of everyday Australians”.

The comment came just days after Mr Musk wrote: “DEI must DIE” on X, adding that the point of the programs “was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination”.

DEI must DIE.

The point was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2023

Mr Dutton’s speech was immediately criticised by the Community and Public Sector Union, with national secretary Melissa Donnelly accusing Mr Dutton of taking strategies “straight from the Trump playbook”.

“What Mr Dutton fails to comprehend is that a workforce that reflects the public they serve is better able to deliver essential services effectively,” she said.

The Coalition’s finance spokesperson Jane Hume said a Coalition government would “stop the growth in this bloated public service”.

She pointed to a $250,000 consultant role within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which offers advice on a “First Nations approach to foreign affairs,” however said the job mirrors the $380,000 position given to First Nations ambassador role given to Justin Mohamed.

“We will make sure that essential services are maintained and indeed improved, but there is duplication out there,” she said.

“Because as the public sector grows, it grows to unprecedented levels, it actually prevents the private sector getting on and getting ahead. We want to make sure that we have private sector led recovery, because that’s the only way to sustainable economic growth.”

Senator Jane Hume said there was a lot of “duplication” in the public service. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been tasked with the shadow portfolio of government efficiencies, who will identify saving opportunities, including consolidating the public service workforce.

Citing areas of concern, Senator Price said she would look to audit the “billions of dollars spent in the Indigenous space,” and indicated she would reduce funding given to Welcome to Country ceremonies.

Asked if Senator Price’s portfolio was a duplication for finance, Senator Hume said Senator Price was a “warrior for the cause,” adding it wasn’t “unusual” for a Coalition government to have a focus on “reducing government waste and improving government efficiency”.

“We’ve had ministers for government efficiency and reducing red tape and improving government services in the past. It’s fantastic to have Jacinta Price as part of the team,” she said.

Originally published as Peter Dutton confirms Coalition government would not initiate spending audit, doesn’t identify areas for public service job cuts