Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

One of the shadow Treasurer's commitments is that when we are elected we will show, in the budget papers, the structural deficit—we will show the structural position of the budget. The member for Blair is right: there are some structural challenges coming at this country like a bullet train. And the person who identified those was the former Treasurer, Peter Costello—the best Treasurer this country has ever had. He identified these issues—

Dr Leigh interjecting—

We know your private view about the current Treasurer, Member for Fraser, that is for sure. What we have before us is a misleading motion in that it excludes an important fact, which is that the Labor government is doing exactly the same thing that he wishes to condemn the opposition for planning to do. But there are some very good reasons why we are planning to do exactly this. A good and effective public service does not have to be a fat public service; it does not have to have too many staff to do a good and effective job. We showed that when we were in government the last time. The Public Service is an important part of ensuring that the country is managed properly, but it does not need to be excessive. We argue—I think rightly—that it has become excessively staffed, that there are too many fat cats, earning too much, in the Public Service. We will start the process of winding this back.

It is not just the amount of public servants; it is their benefits such as credit cards when they get to those executive levels. Since this government came to office, we have seen a 100 per cent increase in the amount of expenditure on government credit cards. That is a 100 per cent increase in four years, not because they are spending more but because there are more credit cards out there. There are more credit cards because there are more SES band staff. We have a genuine commitment to reduce the size of government.

Honourable members interjecting—

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