In Estimates today, Minister Felix Ellis tried to claim that $35 million in cuts to his department will not be applied to frontline services, but then refused to say what a frontline service is.

The Minister couldn’t say whether critical services like Forensic Science Services, Radio Dispatch Services (who answer 000 calls) and Police Counter staff are frontline. If jobs are cut in these areas, DPFEM has identified that the already stretched Police Force will need to help fill the roles. 

How can he guarantee that frontline services will be quarantined from cuts if he doesn’t know what they are? DPFEM asked that the whole Department be exempt from the cuts as they are a frontline agency.

There have been 70 job cuts identified in RTI documents for the savings strategies sent to Minister Ellis last year. He has refused to confirm that their jobs are safe and would not rule out redundancies.

Despite other Departments such as DPAC finalising and publicly outlining their cuts strategies, Minister Ellis admitted to the hearing that he came empty handed and will continue to keep Tasmanians in the dark.

We are three months into the financial year where the hapless Minister needs to begin finding $35 million in cuts, and he has no plan for doing so, and no date when we can expect to see the final savings strategy.

Jen Butler MP
Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management