GG 39/12
19 June 2012
Opposition leader Tony Abbott today joined his colleague Joe Hockey in misrepresenting the size of the Australian Public Service.
Mr Abbott told the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) there were 20,000 more public servants on the Commonwealth payroll now than there were at the end of 2007 and he added “I don't think anyone would say that the quality of Commonwealth Government has improved that much over the last five years”.
Special Minister of State Gary Gray said today: “In addition to being destructively negative, Mr Abbott joins Joe Hockey in erroneously claiming the Government has grown the Australian Public Service by 20,000.
“The truth is that the Australian Public Service has grown by 12,000 since June 2007.”
Mr Abbott has incorrectly included the Army, Navy, Air Force and Reservist personnel, ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. To count these people as public servants is quite simply wrong and Mr Abbott knows that.
Mr Abbott’s mistake follows Mr Hockey repeating the error more than 11 times to Parliament, the National Press Club, on the Today Show, to ABC TV’s QandA, Lateline and 7.30.
Mr Hockey and Mr Abbott have so far refused to rebut Coalition plans to cut 20,000 jobs, including to Defence, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO.
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