Labor continues to dodge questions around cuts to frontline emergency services jobs, with Treasurer Jacyln Symes the latest to duck for cover.
Jobs have been cut in bushfire management yet Labor remains in denial, with Symes in Parliament refusing to concede frontline jobs have been lost.
The Treasurer in February publicly stated frontline jobs would not be made redundant.
The statement came when announcing the “Silver Review”, launched to address skyrocketing state debt, projected to reach $194 billion in coming years due to financial mismanagement and city infrastructure project blow outs.
These are critical emergency services jobs which protect lives, livelihoods and the environment.
The cuts come despite a new $3 billion emergency services tax. Labor is taking more and giving less back to frontline services.
Recent reports reveal the government plans to cut around 350 jobs as part of a restructure to its Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
The losses are expected to affect public sector workers in a variety of areas, including bushfire and forest services.
In September last year, there were reports of 208 bushfire and forest staff facing the axe.
Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath, said the Treasurer must come clean.
“The Treasurer must explain why regional Victorians and the environment are being put at risk to pay for Labor’s financial mismanagement,” Ms Bath said.
“These roles are undeniably frontline, vital in protecting lives, communities and the environment and cutting them is not only short-sighted, it’s a dividend of Labor’s financial mismanagement.”
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Danny O’Brien, said the Treasurer’s lack of transparency once again exposed the real toll of the emergency services tax.
“Labor continues to take more, yet cut, cut and cut again. Households and businesses are paying double under the emergency services tax, yet frontline services are under attack,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Labor can’t manage money and Victorians are paying the price.”
