Published Wednesday, 10 September, 2008 at 09:04 PM

Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh

Springborg still no answers on 129 jobs from N/West public services

Despite two weeks notice Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg has still not detailed which services will be cut if elected, Premier Anna Bligh said this morning.

“Again I ask that Mr Springborg come clean on his Target 12,000 policy and tell public servants exactly which ones he’s going to axe,” said the Premier.

The Opposition Leader told a business function three weeks he will shrink public services by ‘attrition’.

“That’s 12,000 jobs – 129 of them in the North West!”

“So he effectively sacks thousands and compounds this when no increases are taken into account for population growth.

“He glibly says no frontline people will be affected - but he’s cruelly unclear on which jobs gets cut.”

Member for Mt Isa Betty Kiernan asks: “Maybe it’s the Chronic Disease Care Coordinator, in Mount Isa, or maybe it is one of the Local Area Coordinators, from Disability Services Queensland. They are the ones working with and supporting people with an intellectual disability.

“These are jobs currently advertised that under his plan that he would not fill,” she said.

The Premier said that the Target 12,000 stupidity has two clear downsides: no support positions will place a greater burden on the lesser remaining staff and the frontline staff won’t have the support they now have and need.

“He must tell Queensland which jobs are expendable and then from what sectors and regions they will come from?

“To the public servants – especially those in support roles – you’re in the Opposition crosshairs – Target 12,000’s got you lined up,” said the Premier.

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