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The news
Queensland’s peak union body has raised alarm about the “slippery slope” of a proposed Crisafulli government productivity drive for the public sector across frontline services.
Treasurer David Janetzki has indicated the next task for the government’s rebooted productivity commission would be examining public service delivery – including in the departments of health, education and social housing – to get the “best bang for buck”.
Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki has declined to elaborate on his comments.Credit: Matt Dennien
Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Jacqueline King said if Janetzki had concerns with service delivery outcomes he should be questioning the ministers and bureaucrats responsible.
“Queenslanders elected the LNP to govern, and its cabinet must take responsibility for delivering results,” King told this masthead, urging against “outsourcing accountability” to the commission.
Why it matters
In comments reported by News Corp on Wednesday, Janetzki said 82 per cent of his $91 billion budget went to departments delivering social services such as health, education, and social housing.
This was where he suggested he would ask the commission to focus its work next. But his office declined to provide further detail, other than to say more would be revealed in coming months.
Queensland’s key public sector union warned before the election that the LNP would look to cut jobs as it did under the Newman government, amid repeat assurances from the party this was not so.
Together union secretary Alex Scott, who was contacted for comment, even suggested to members last year that a Crisafulli government would seek to do this under the cover of the productivity commission.
What they said
King said Janetzki’s characterisation of the overwhelming majority of budget spending revealed a “disturbing contempt for the essential public services Queenslanders rely on every day”.
“Queenslanders should be deeply wary of the treasurer’s mooted review,” she said.
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“History shows that so-called ‘independent’ productivity commission inquiries often pave the way for cuts and privatisation – a slippery slope that will only place vital public services at risk.”
Another perspective
Janetzki had told The Courier Mail the rebooted commission would investigate how to improve service delivery across the bureaucracy.
“For me, productivity was all about making sure that we get the best bang for buck for the services that Queenslanders rely on,” he said.
“We know we need it on work sites to get built what we need built, but we also need the services being delivered as best as we possibly can.”
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Janetzki said the government would continue making additional investments into services, with the commission asked analyse why outcomes have not lifted with spending rather than find savings.
He declined to answer questions seeking further detail about the commission’s proposed work – which Janetzki is yet to formally request.
Instead, Janetzki said the former Labor government had collected $70 billion more revenue than forecast in its final three years but “outcomes worsened” across health, housing and crime.
He said his first budget had invested heavily in the public service and would continue to do so.
“Any suggestion otherwise is categorically untrue and more of the same Labor scare campaigns that Queenslanders rejected at the last election,” Janetzki said.
The commission, which is finalising its first report into the building sector due to government for a three-month response period on October 24, was contacted for comment. Comment was also sought from the opposition.
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