Here’s the Coalition’s public service policy.

First they said they would sack 36,000 people.

Then they said it would be no frontline workers.

Then it was just Canberra based public servants.

Then it was Canberra based, but not in security, defence or home affairs.

Then when the budget came out, the Coalition said they would sack 41,000 public servants.

All from Canberra.

Then it was ‘we’ll work out where from after the election’

Then, no, all from Canberra.

But now it’s not sacking. It’s natural attrition.

Then it was natural attrition AND voluntary redundancies.

Then it was natural attrition, and voluntary redundancies, and all from Canberra, but not frontline and not in defence and not in home affairs and not in national security (which are all based in Canberra)

Now it’s 41,000 of positions that are mostly budgeted for, but no one is actually there yet, so it’s not actually natural attrition, it’s cutting future funding. But it’s ALL from Canberra, and that’s what people get for living in Canberra. Or something.

David Littleproud told the ABC this morning:

That 41,000 much of that is budgeted, not yet hired. So that is what is baked into the Labor budget. So there aren’t actually jobs that have been filled. Much of that will come from the fact we won’t simply employ much of what they’re talking about. And there has, if you look at the APS data last year, through natural attrition, there was over 10,000, nearly 11,000, that left the public service. So you can do this sensibly, James. We’re not slashing and burning. We’re going to use some calm, common sense, and make sure we work through this to make sure that we’re directing the public service to give service, that they have got customers. It’s the Australian taxpayer. We want to see more hospital beds, more teachers, and less bureaucratic desks. That’s what we’re saying. We can do that if you set the priorities in this country. That’s what a Government should do, not let it get away from you.

Calm common sense indeed.