Peter Dutton's Coalition party has significantly altered its election platform regarding public sector reform. Initial plans to drastically cut the public service workforce by 41,000 and mandate minimum in-office workdays have been abandoned.
The revised approach involves achieving workforce reduction through a combination of hiring freezes and natural attrition over five years. This change follows pushback and clarifies that there will be no forced redundancies.
The Coalition projects annual savings of $7 billion by the fifth year of their plan, although the exact savings in prior years remain unclear. This cost-cutting measure is central to their claim of superior fiscal responsibility compared to the Labor government and a key aspect of their economic strategy.
The Coalition's policy on flexible work arrangements has also undergone a significant shift. The initial proposal for minimum in-office days is now limited to Canberra-based public servants. The party denies accusations that it is targeting women through changes to the flexible work policies.