$70 million costings gap in Coalition budget

[mellie]

From your own link, mellie:

Recently released statistics show that at the end of 2012 there were 165,598 working under the Public Service Act compared to 155,482 in June 2007, a rise of 10,116 or 6.5 per cent. If we had compared June 2012 to June 2011, the number would have been closer to 13,000.

So which number is correct: 20,000, 13,000 or 10,000?

And did the public service grow by 6.5 per cent or 5.4 per cent or 8.3 per cent? None of these percentages matches the rise in population which grew 2 million to 23 million, a 9.5 per cent swelling over five years.

If you look at pure non-military public servants the 10,000 is correct.

The military are public servants? Perhaps. But we suspect they view themselves as professional soldiers, a different species. Rugged soldiers do not seem to fit the bloated pen pusher mould that Abbott’s statement conjures up.

And including defence reservists, those with paying jobs in the private sector who spend their spare time with the military, is stretching the definition of public servant.

Our ruling

Abbott says the public sector payroll has grown by 20,000 since 2007.

There are multiple sources to work out how many public servants have been added since Labor came to power in 2007. And more ways to interpret the data.

Abbott has been specific in his reference to "public sector payroll", which would include most paid from the public purse, and not just those employed under the Public Service Act. The number 20,000 is also supported by the 2012-13 Budget papers. Of course, around 7,000 of those extra heads are from the military and more than 2,000 of those are reservists. Take out the soldiers and you have 13,000.

Yes, the 20,000 are on the public sector payroll. Abbott’s statement has mostly been taken to mean ‘public servants’ which is not correct. Military reservists are paid for their time but their main source of income is with the private sector. They are weekend warriors. If we subtract the reservists we get a number of 18,000.

We rate statements. Abbott's statement is accurate but needs clarification.

We rate this as Mostly True.

Like I said...garbage.

The bias is evident, is it not?

[Aussie]

The bias is evident, is it not?

You cited it as your source, mellie.

[Neferti]

GO MELLIE

[mellie]

Heres another ....

http://www.factsfightback.org.au/has-th ... t-5-years/

You would be surprised what bored public servants in Canberra get up to when their government instructs them to use social-media as a weapon against the coalition in order to secure their tax-funded blue-ribbon welfare cheques.



I have been researching sites like the above, and have made note of a common theme.



Fact: There are around 20,000 more public servants (mostly in Canberra) than there were back in 2007, and whilst the Coalition has made their intentions clear to make cuts to the public service, they wont be doing anything radical...will cull them gradually I should think.

Aussie, can you justify Rudds bloated public service?

[Aussie]

Are you nuts mellie? Your own source, the one you just linked, proves you wrong.

The Facts: Tony Abbott has overstated the growth in the Australian Public Service (APS). The APS has not grown by 20,000 people but has instead grown by 13,156 people from June 2007 to June 2012. This figure is one-third less than that stated by Tony Abbott.

Discussion of evidence: The actual growth in public service employment has not occurred by the amount that Tony Abbott stated.

Under Labor the APS has grown by 13,156 people, an increase of 8 per cent. Interestingly, this figure is smaller than the increase in APS employment during the five years before the Labor government where the public service grew by 26,689 people, an increase of 22 per cent. The increase in employment during the Labor government has been much smaller than the five years prior.

In addition to examining the actual figures of new APS employment, it is also important to examine how the public service has grown relative to other measures, such as growth in the labour force. Growth in APS employment is also less than growth in Australia’s labour force. While the APS has grown eight per cent in the past five years the labour force has grown by nine per cent. These figures indicate that relative to other measures the APS has not grown significantly under the Labor government.

Tony Abbott was also incorrect when he suggested that the growth in the APS had occurred exclusively in Canberra. While the majority of growth has occurred in Canberra, other states and territories, with the exception of Queensland and Western Australia, have seen an increase in public service employment. This includes more than 1,200 new employees in Victoria, and more than 600 new employees in both New South Wales and South Australia. The increase in public service employment is less concentrated in Canberra than Tony Abbott suggests.

[mellie]

GO MELLIE

You're a gem Nef.

[mellie]

Are you nuts mellie? Your own source, the one you just linked, proves you wrong.

The Facts: Tony Abbott has overstated the growth in the Australian Public Service (APS). The APS has not grown by 20,000 people but has instead grown by 13,156 people from June 2007 to June 2012. This figure is one-third less than that stated by Tony Abbott.

Discussion of evidence: The actual growth in public service employment has not occurred by the amount that Tony Abbott stated.

Under Labor the APS has grown by 13,156 people, an increase of 8 per cent. Interestingly, this figure is smaller than the increase in APS employment during the five years before the Labor government where the public service grew by 26,689 people, an increase of 22 per cent. The increase in employment during the Labor government has been much smaller than the five years prior.

In addition to examining the actual figures of new APS employment, it is also important to examine how the public service has grown relative to other measures, such as growth in the labour force. Growth in APS employment is also less than growth in Australia’s labour force. While the APS has grown eight per cent in the past five years the labour force has grown by nine per cent. These figures indicate that relative to other measures the APS has not grown significantly under the Labor government.

Tony Abbott was also incorrect when he suggested that the growth in the APS had occurred exclusively in Canberra. While the majority of growth has occurred in Canberra, other states and territories, with the exception of Queensland and Western Australia, have seen an increase in public service employment. This includes more than 1,200 new employees in Victoria, and more than 600 new employees in both New South Wales and South Australia. The increase in public service employment is less concentrated in Canberra than Tony Abbott suggests.

I was mocking the source, and likening it to your own bias diatribe... Jeeze, wake up Aussie.

[Neferti]

GO MELLIE

You're a gem Nef.

You are on a roll ....... go for it.

[Aussie]

Mock away, mellie. All those links prove you and Abbott to be fucked in the head.

[Neferti]

Mock away, mellie. All those links prove you and Abbott to be fucked in the head.

SMELL THE FEAR!