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

The scenario to which the honourable senator refers is unfortunately just one of the many examples of the 14,500 job cuts implicit in the last Labor budget, for which the honourable senator voted.

These are part of the cost-saving measures that are regrettably required as a result of the Australian Labor Party making savings but not telling the Australian people about them and the consequences. So part of the budgeting that the Labor Party undertook and took to the last election included downsizing and amalgamating groups of individuals to the tune of 14½ thousand people.

And, of course, make no mistake: that total of 14½ thousand people—and I do accept, Mr President, that each one of those 14½ thousand people is a person and is a breadwinner with aspirations; chances are with mortgages and with loans that they seek to pay off—that Labor said needed to be removed from the Australian Public Service unfortunately has that consequence. And part of that consequence is the regrettable loss of jobs in our home city of Hobart.

Am I happy about it? No. But Senator Singh, you and the Labor Party were the architects. They were the architects, Mr President, and this was in the pipeline courtesy of the policies that Senator Singh and others voted for.