Abetz finally forced to negotiating table over pay says CPSU

The government is poised to up its pay offer to public servants from nothing at all to a below inflation pay increase as talks begin in earnest.

28 March, 2014

Potential for APS job losses hits 50,000

Bluster over APS industrial negotiations and pay rises has officially hit fever pitch after the government calculated pay rises in terms of job cuts.

28 February, 2014

Public Service wages and conditions in Coalition crosshairs

Eric Abetz and Tony Abbott have dispensed with the niceties in the renegotiation of the APS’s main industrial instrument warning bureaucrats to either agree to a pay freeze or cop a haircut on leave entitlements.

19 February, 2014

Abetz returns fire over 14,500 APS retrenchments

By Julian Bajkowski The war of words over the scale and pace of downsizing in the Australian Public Service has sharply intensified after Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment, Senator Eric Abetz hit out at the former Labor government over plans to axe Department of Human Services call […]

11 December, 2013

Regions now in firing line for 14,500 federal job cuts

By Julian Bajkowski The Federal Government’s job cutting axe is set to fall on at least 56 Department of Human Services IT staff in Hobart, as agencies start to look beyond Canberra for forced retrenchment fodder in order to meet efficiency dividend targets. The proposed federal job losses in the state with Australia’s highest unemployment […]

6 December, 2013

Abbott pushes referendum Vote No case

By Julian Bajkowski Coalition support for the ‘yes’ case in the referendum on Constitutional recognition for local government has edged one step closer to official collapse after Opposition leader Tony Abbott intensified his attack on the poll process amid growing internal pressure to withdraw bipartisan support. Speaking at a press conference in Whittlsea, Victoria, Mr […]

2 July, 2013

Referendum legislation clears Senate despite Coaltion walkout

By Julian Bajkowski Legislation to make a local government referendum on 14th September has finally cleared the Senate amid a widening split in the Coalition that resulted in seven members of the Opposition cross the floor to vote against the bill and at least as many abstaining. The last minute bid to shoot down referendum […]

25 June, 2013

Howard veterans launch referendum ‘No’ vote campaign

By Julian Bajkowski Opponents to a change in the Constitution that could give financial recognition to local government through a referendum at the 14th September federal poll have launched their official campaign with an attack by former Howard government minister Peter Reith on the Nationals leader in the Senate,. Barnaby Joyce. After months of sniping […]

3 June, 2013

Bureaucrats roasted over referendum education progress

By Julian Bajkowski The Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sports has come under fire from the Opposition during Senate Estimates over the rate of progress in its efforts to mount a civics campaign to inform Australians about the looming referendum on whether or not to give financial recognition to local government in […]

30 May, 2013

Gillard green lights local government referendum as recriminations fly

By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley Prime Minister Julia Gillard has finally confirmed that the federal government intends hold a September 14 referendum that if successful would allow the financial recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution, but there are signs of growing tensions and signs of fracturing support for the poll within the […]

9 May, 2013