SA Footy

OPPOSITION Leader Isobel Redmond has flagged a policy of major public sector job reductions.

In an exclusive interview with The Advertiser, Ms Redmond, right, said the Liberals expected to have the bulk of their election platform settled by the middle of the year.

She said major savings could be made by not replacing thousands of public servants who retired each year, unless it meant leaving an "essential" job vacant.

"To just create bureaucracies is extraordinary," Ms Redmond said.

"If you concentrated your actual public sector into teachers, policemen, nurses and doctors - those people who are actually providing front-line services - that would be much more acceptable. We have more public servants per capita, I believe, than any other state.

"There is, therefore, an opportunity to reduce the public sector."


WOW. What a total lack of understanding. I was thinking the libs were on track to achieve victory but not so sure now. The ad-hoc I'll just cut jobs with out any regard to who, what they do, what effect this will have except for less wages, should have ceased 30 years ago.

You have to remember that the ALP has spent the state Superannuation funds yet again.
That's what drove the reductions under Dean Brown and John Olsen, after the Bannon government had done that in the 1980s.
The Premier's department may be where the cuts need to start, then the other Ministerial "spin doctors".

Teachers have complained to me that they spent half their alleged teaching time filling in forms to satisfy the bureaucrats in head office.
Nurses and Police have reported similar issues..

And I've worked as a doctor, in public and private contexts, and had to deal with clerks trying to control and ration treatment options.

The state ALP know they have to cut the public service and the Superannuation liability.
That why they started reducing the public service last year, and took away tenure to enable more cuts if they did win the next election.
At least Isobel Redmond has been open about the need.

Not against cuts at all. There is way to much duplication across the three levels of government, with much of it not mandated or legislated for. I just think they should be identified by need (actually no need) rather than the simplistic approach she has stated. This style of policy to me says that she either has not thought it through or she genuinely believes that its that easy.

Any teacher telling you that they are spending half their teaching time filling in forms is without doubt making it up.

DOC wrote:Not against cuts at all. There is way to much duplication across the three levels of government, with much of it not mandated or legislated for. I just think they should be identified by need (actually no need) rather than the simplistic approach she has stated. This style of policy to me says that she either has not thought it through or she genuinely believes that its that easy.

Any teacher telling you that they are spending half their teaching time filling in forms is without doubt making it up.

They may have been exaggerating as they were mostly successful WorkCover claimants I'd seen, but I do have a few teachers as social acquaintances who say similar things.
That includes my brother-in-law who was a Deputy Headmaster at one time before he quit to become a country Newsagent and reliever teacher.

Think the sooner Isobel Redmond is replaced by Martin Hamilton-Smith the better, surely he has done his time in purgatory by now!

Think that Housing SA is one area that both the ALP and the Liberals see as a way to save some money. The current government are selling off properties at a rapid rate and transfering others to housing co-ops. I suspect that once they get the numbers down to a critical mass they will simply hand them over to Serco or a similar firm for private management, wiping their hands of it and blaming Serco for all the problems with it when things go wrong. The ALP will do their part by getting the numbers down, the Liberals will likely be the ones to put Housing SA out to tender and to make the privatisation complete to the false indignation of the ALP.

I also think that the Liberals will sweep in and close a number of public schools that are currently at 1/5th capacity or less. The ALP wont close schools unless the school council vote for it, the Liberals have no such policy and will likely be in a position to make a number of cost savings and selling off of property in this area.

Bit off topic but in terms of reducing public service numbers there are many older employees who applied for the package but were refused (called essential) -- the present package is targeted however were it to be open for to any that apply then the reduction targets would be exceeded. If the Liberals come in with an approach to accept any request for separation then they will achieve their target goals.

A further issue with the present application is when a person gets a package then that specific job is gone there is no mechanism for transferring the removal of that job position between departments so essential jobs (nurse, teachers, police) numbers are kept.

Leon Byner raised this issue late last year and it seemed to get some legs from the callers and guests that came on air to talk about it. Now the AO and RAH issues are done with maybe the Libs see this is the next hot button to push in the electorate. They will link it with rising government fees and charges. As Doc says, there needs to be some meat on the bones of her policies rather than hoping that simplistic headline grabs will be enough.

Since the AO and RAH issues were settled and Rann has gone the Libs seem to have been struggling to find an issue that resonates with the voters to get back some attention and momentum. Let's see how this goes.

Redmond is an anagram of NFI ...

Or Dr Demon

She's a good match then

Does Isobel Redmond make policy announcements? Huh, well I'll be....

Booney wrote:Does Isobel Redmond make policy announcements? Huh, well I'll be....

I don't think there will be any announcements, other than generalities, until the next election date is set and the run is on.
If you announce policies too soon there is time for the other side to pinch them or come up with a variation to nullify them.
That will be the same whoever is leader, and I can't see anyone but ALP supporters wanting MHS as Liberal leader.
(He tends to make it easy for them, and shoot himself and his party in the foot, by going off half-cocked.)

Must have made it hard for him in the forces...shooting himself in the foot.

Who ? Easier to find "Where's Wally".

Both parties can cut as many jobs as they like IMHO - as long as they determine which positions and functions should no longer be performed rather than the way it happens now:

Cabinet - "we need to save $x to fulfil our promises. We'll ask Treasury how many jobs have to go as a result.
Treasury - "you will need to cut a total of x jobs, pollies!
Pollies - great - "thx Treasury. Moneypenny - send me the chief executives.
Pollies to CEs - "we need to cut x jobs to keep the books in shape. It's up to you to decide which jobs should go.
CE - "great, will do Minister. But what happens if there is a train wreck as a result?
Minister - "easy, I get to blame you because it's your decision, not mine.

When I talk to anyone closely involved with the Libs right now they say the leader is safe.
However, I feel an underlying current every time I ask.
It feels like they are saying "yes" because it's the right thing to do.
Or because they are uncertain.

Isobel is actually personable and strong in her personal presentation. But is she strong enough to withstand the static in the background?

Yes - she's not going anywhere
The talk is about tactics, not the leadership

Leadership dictates tactics.

She needs to get over the Adelaide Oval upgrade.

is she still around. you never hear anything from her especially about policies