Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed, at the recent Senate estimates, Senator Wong, the leader of the opposition in this place, sought to perpetuate the myth that Labor could increase cuts to the Public Service without staff cuts. That was despite the fact of the evidence provided by the Secretary of the Department of Finance, who said

There was also … a series of other savings that … cut into the opportunity to get more savings from non-staff costs

So, having already dug herself a hole, Senator Wong kept digging and sought to assert that these cuts would be less than 55 per cent of the savings that could come from non-staff cuts. This was specifically repudiated by the Secretary of the Department of Finance and yet Senator Wong kept digging. It is very rare that honourable senators would hear me quote Nadine Flood but she said, 'There are no easy— (Time expired)