By Fatma Younis
Victoria’s Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) announced Wednesday it will not endorse the Labor government at the November 28 state election, criticizing public service job cuts and $1.2 billion spent on consultants since 2017.
Union Cites Job Cuts and Consultant Spending
CPSU Victorian secretary Jiselle Hanna said the union cannot support Premier Ben Carroll’s government while it refuses to rule out further public service job reductions. The union’s analysis of government annual reports shows $1.2 billion spent on consultants across ten departments since the 2017‑18 financial year, with the Department of Treasury and Finance the highest spender at $222 million.
Government Defends Savings
The Labor government has cut about 1,000 Victorian Public Service roles, including more than 300 executive positions, and merged several entities following an independent review led by Helen Silver. The government says those changes delivered $4 billion in savings and did not affect frontline roles. As of June 2025, the VPS employed roughly 58,000 people out of a total public sector workforce of nearly 400,000.
Opposition Proposes Hiring Freeze
The Coalition has pledged an indefinite hiring freeze across all back‑office public service roles if elected, aiming to save $22 billion over a decade until staffing returns to 2014‑15 population‑adjusted levels. Hanna argued both major parties overlook critical work performed by back‑office staff, such as directing firefighters during bushfires, analysing forensic evidence, and developing school curricula.
Union Campaign Launched
The CPSU has launched a campaign urging Victorians to sign a pledge supporting the public service and committing not to vote for candidates who propose job cuts. While the campaign does not endorse a party, it notes the Greens and Victorian Socialists oppose public service cuts and privatisation.
Other Unions Also Withhold Support
The Electrical Trades Union resolved not to run a statewide campaign for Labor, the United Firefighters Union launched ads urging voters to “put Labor last,” and the Australian Services Union is running ads calling the premier a liar over council rate caps. Members of the Australian Education Union and the Health and Community Services Union have also indicated they will not campaign for Labor.
