The Liberal senate candidate for the ACT has broken ranks with the Coalition over its plans to drastically reduce the size of the Australian public service if it wins Saturday’s federal election. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been clear, all 41,000 jobs he wants to cut will be from Canberra’s APS workforce, a move Jacob Vadakkedathu labelled unrealistic and impractical.
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00:00Snagging a Senate seat was always going to be a tall order for Jacob Vadikedit.
00:09But when Peter Dutton dropped this bombshell last week.
00:13You have the policy of reducing the public service by 41,000 places.
00:16In Canberra, we're not reducing the public service.
00:18We've been very clear about that from day one.
00:20The task before the Liberal candidate became that much harder.
00:24Now, with just two days to go, Mr Vadikedit has broken ranks.
00:29Telling a panel discussion of Senate candidates.
00:3341,000 just from Canberra, it's unrealistic and it's not practical.
00:39That's exactly why he says the ACT needs a Liberal Senator in the party room.
00:45And I will stand up and I will strongly argue the case for Canberra.
00:50A brutal dose of reality compliments of Labor Senator Katie Gallagher swiftly followed.
00:56I think it's a good commitment from you.
00:59But I doubt very much that Peter Dutton will listen to one word you have to say about this
01:04because he's made it very clear.
01:06The Coalition's plan would see $17 billion in savings banked over four years with assurances, national security and frontline jobs will be spared.
01:18And today, more clarity about how exactly the target will be hit.
01:23We're not expecting voluntary redundancies and natural attrition and hiring freeze should get us there.
01:28It means entire departments abolished.
01:30I mean, if you put PM and C, Treasury and Finance together, you just tip 5,000.
01:36So you've got to abolish all of those departments and then find another 35,000 jobs.
01:43Independent Senator David Pocock was quick to point out Canberra has a long history of being shortchanged,
01:51even with Liberal representation in the Senate.
01:54It's a great thing that Jacob is saying that he'll stand up for the ACT,
01:58but I think you have to look at history and say,
02:00well, that's probably not going to change things
02:02when it comes to actually valuing us and investment.
02:05And this late in the game,
02:07Mr. Vadakedit's defiance may have little impact come election day.