Queensland’s public servant numbers have fallen by more than 4400 full-time equivalents since the state election.

 

Premier Campbell Newman said the latest payroll figures compiled by the Public Service Commission showed there were 199,789 FTEs for the fortnight ending 27 July, an increase of 845 since the previous fortnight as casual teachers were re-employed after the school holidays.

 

However, he said it ws impossible to give a completely accurate picture of the current size of the public service due to the “shambolic state of the payroll and IT systems”.

 

“The latest figures from the Public Service Commission demonstrate how the numbers can bounce around from fortnight to fortnight, but they also reveal that overall numbers have fallen by 4408 FTEs since the fortnight ending 6 April.”

 

Mr Newman said that his Government wants to protect as many public sector jobs as possible, but that the the former Labor Government had employed 20,000 more public servants than the state can afford.

 

“Labor has left the state $65 billion in debt and that debt will grow to $100 billion if nothing is done. Queensland’s fastest growing expense is the interest bill on that debt and thanks to Labor, Queensland has to borrow to pay the wages bill for public servants.”