|
National's promise to cut public service numbers threatens thousands of jobs across the greater Wellington region, including nurses, social workers, teachers and cops, says Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer.
"People should be very wary; National would fund its $7 billion tax policy by borrowing $3.5b and cutting the rest from our public services. These are real jobs and services in our community," said Ms Beyer.
"Just how many of our 164 nurses and 32 medical staff in the Wairarapa District Health Board area would National axe to fund their tax cuts? If they're not for the chop, what about the 180 Work and Income case managers, 21 Child, Youth and Family (CYF) social workers and 128 special education staff working across the Wellington region? Are all of the 745 Wellington District police safe? Maybe they'll axe the 39 MAF border officers in Palmerston North and Wellington and the 35 Customs staff looking after Wellington ports?
"For six years, Labour has strengthened community services by rebuilding a public sector run down by National in the 1990s," Ms Beyer said.
"Locally we have 196 nursing and medical staff, compared to 187 in 1999; 180 Work and Income case managers (162 in 1999); three Social Workers in Schools where none existed six years ago; and about 79 extra teachers since 1999.
"The local National candidate wants Wairarapa people to believe in a mythical army of back-room bureaucrats wasting taxpayer money, but that's nonsense. Across the country, public servant numbers have increased since 1999, but three out of four of those new jobs are in the frontline," Ms Beyer said.
The State Services Commission has reported that nationally between 2000-2004, frontline public servants in the 35 core government departments increased 38 percent while contractors and short-term staff fell by 21 percent. In 2004, greater Wellington had 14,970 public servants, of which 2559 were front line staff, compared with 1600 in the front line (out of 11,788) in 1999 under National.
"There is no doubt that National will slash jobs and services in our community. Two ticks for Labour on Election Day will protect them," Ms Beyer said.
Note: All figures are the most recent available, sourced from departmental reports. Actual staff numbers may have changed in the intervening time.
|
|
|
