Q. There have recently been a significant number of public service jobs cut in various states around the country.

How do you think each of the following will fare as are result of public sector job cuts?

The majority of respondents believe that the following things will get worse as a result of public sector cuts: the rate of unemployment (61%), delivery of public services (54%) and the welfare of disadvantaged Australians (53%).

The larger portion of respondents also think that retail and spending will get worse (50%), as well as the welfare of all Australians (49%), state budgets (42%) and the economy in general (41%).

A larger portion of respondents believe that the governments’’ ability to respond to natural disasters will stay much the same (45%) than those that believe it will get worse (32%).

Q. How concerned are you that you or some member of your immediate family will lose their job in the next year or so: very concerned, somewhat concerned, or not at all concerned? 

Concern over job security has fallen slightly since the last time the question was polled, declining 2 points up from 49% in March to 47% (total concerned).

Coalition voters are the most likely to be concerned that they or a member of their immediately family will lose their job in the next year or so (52% total concerned), whereas Greens (43%) and Labor voters (44%) are less likely to be concerned.

There were no major differences across income or age groups – except for the under 25’s where 43% were concerned and 48% not at all concerned.

Q. The Liberal and National Parties have said they will cut between $50 billion and $70 billion from the Commonwealth public sector if they win the next election and the Treasurer Joe Hockey has said at least 12,000 jobs will be cut.

Do you think cutting at least 12,000 jobs from the Commonwealth public sector will result in better or worse service to the people of Australia?

53% thought that cutting 12,000 jobs from the Commonwealth public sector would result in worse service and 14% thought it result in better service. 23% thought it would make no difference.

Those mostly likely to think it would result in worse service were aged 18-24 (64%), Labor voters (77%), Greens voters (74%) and those on incomes under $600pw (62%). Only 31% of Liberal/National voters thought it would result in worse service.

Q. How concerned are you that at least 12,000 jobs might be cut from the Commonwealth public sector?

46% were very or somewhat concerned that 12,000 jobs might be cut from the Commonwealth public sector.

Those most concerned were women (51% very/somewhat), aged 18-24 (61%), Labor voters (70%) and Greens voters (69%).

Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

A majority of respondents agreed that – cutting support and admin staff will affect the quality of service provided by frontline staff (60%), cutting the public service will most hurt regional and rural areas (57%), the Commonwealth public sector cannot take 12,000 job cuts and still maintain service quality (57%) and regardless of what they say before elections, Liberal Governments always cut public services (52%).

They were more likely to oppose outsourcing public sector functions to private companies (48% disagree) or charities and not-for-profits (42%).

Liberal/National voters were evenly split over whether cutting the public service will most hurt regional and rural areas (42% agree/38% disagree) and cutting support and admin staff will affect the quality of service provided by frontline staff (43% agree/43% disagree).

Sometimes, the forest is hard to see when you get confused by the trees. And speaking of forests and trees: with the slashing of 120 Rural Fire Service jobs, the public sector has now taken a hit of more than 1200 regional workers—people who won’t have a decent paycheck or benefits or security.

As NSW Public Service Association General Secretary John Cahill points out, in a statement released by the union:

The NSW Government’s agenda of quick and deep public sector job cuts is tearing apart the fabric of our regional communities.Not even vital regional services like the Rural Fire Services, Office of Water and Crown Lands can escape the budget razor.

And here is something worth taking a peek at. The drip, drip, drip of job cuts imposed by Barry O’Farrell is, perhaps intentionally, not being rolled out at once. Rather, it’s a cut here, a cut there—not big enough for the public to see the big picture. And if you look even further down the list, you can see what still is yet to come: thousands more jobs on the chopping block.

Projected public sector job losses in regional NSW over the next four years [location unspecified]
Source: confidential Treasury documents covered in media reports

Q. Australia’s major newspaper publishers – News and Fairfax – recently announced substantial job cuts, including many journalists. How concerned are you that Australian newspapers are losing so many professional journalists?

20% were very concerned and 28% somewhat concerned about job cuts to newspaper journalists.

68% of daily readers of newspapers were very/somewhat concerned.

Those most concerned were aged 55+ (53%) and respondents from Victoria (59%).

Q. Qantas and its workers are currently in dispute over pay, conditions and jobs. Who do you think is most to blame for this dispute – Qantas management or the workers?

36% believe that Qantas management is most to blame for the current dispute and 13% think the workers are most to blame – 37% think both are equally to blame.

All demographic and voter groups are more likely to think management is to blame than workers.

54% of Labor voters and 47% of Greens voters think management is most to blame while Liberal/National voters are more likely to think both are equally to blame (41%).

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