Ms O’CONNOR – Can I ask on the service cuts?
Treasurer, are you able to outline to the committee how many FTE positions last financial year and this financial year today have been subject to recruitment freezes, targeted negotiated voluntary redundancies, any other form of redundancies and any other vacancy management or workforce renewal initiatives resulting in positions being eliminated or unfilled? Does Treasury have that sort of holistic list across agencies?
Mr SWAIN – We have some of that information, but I was just saying to the Treasurer, is that a matter for the Premier to answer? You will have his SSMO, who will be effectively the source of truth on the numbers. We talk to SSMO and reconcile the numbers between the budget branch and SSMO, but SSMO is the source of truth on those numbers. It might be better ‑
Ms O’CONNOR – There are no numbers that you’d be prepared to provide for us now? Obviously, the opportunity is to ask the Premier in other committees, just for some sort of colour around this scenario.
Mr CRAIGIE – Treasurer, through you, I’ve got a response to the general purpose. To your question around the increase in general public services, the increase in 2026-27 is $262 million: that’s made up of a $106 million increase in finance general-debt servicing costs output and $169 million increase in finance general-local government grants output. If I refer you to page 79 of BP2 volume 1, which is the finance general chapter.
Under table 5.5 administered expenses, the third line item, local government grants, jumps significantly from 2025-26 to 2026-27. That’s predominantly due to the timing of when the Commonwealth pays those grants. We budget for them on an annual basis, but they often, in a financial year, will bring forward a half‑yearly payment and pay it. We get sort of two payments in a year. That’s why that forward estimate is so much higher, and then it reverts back to a normal time, a normal –
CHAIR – The reverting back then, if I might, Treasurer, it’s still higher, obviously, but that continues the debt repayment.
Mr CRAIGIE – The debt cost is forecast to go up across the four estimates. That drives the general upward trend –
CHAIR – The underlying rise, yes.
Mr CRAIGIE – but the reason for the significant blip is the timing of the local government grants.
CHAIR – Thanks for that. We won’t need to put it on notice.
Mr SWAIN – I’ve got a number for change from June 2025 to September 2025, which is for GGS, which is from $33,542 to $33,601, so 59.
Ms O’CONNOR – June to September, this year?
Mr SWAIN – Yes, the employment freeze started in March, I think, I don’t have that number to hand.
Ms O’CONNOR – Is that 59 targeted, negotiated voluntary redundancies?
Mr SWAIN – No, that’s the change in FTEs in that time frame. It’s very low.
Ms O’CONNOR – Fifty-nine FTEs less over three months?
Mr SWAIN – There’s been one WRIP that I’m aware of in another agency.
CHAIR – Which stands for?
Mr ABETZ – Workforce renewal incentive program.
Mr SWAIN – Workforce renewal incentive program. Thank you, it just took me a moment. I have some additional information we were able to find during the break in another folder. It may be of interest, just more broadly: the GGS FTE numbers at June, 2015 were 23,671 which have moved to June 2025, 33,359.
CHAIR – What were they in 2019?
Mr SWAIN – In 2019, I don’t have that number. I have 2021, which is 28,000.
CHAIR – I want the number just before COVID.
Mr SWAIN – Sorry, I haven’t got –
CHAIR – Can you get that figure?
Ms O’CONNOR – June 25 was –
Mr SWAIN – We could get that figure, but I haven’t got it now.
CHAIR – We’re going to take a short break. I wonder if you might be able to come back with that figure, but that is the relevant figure that we should be looking at.
Ms O’CONNOR – Which one?
CHAIR – Just before COVID.
Ms O’CONNOR – Just for clarity, between 2015, so within that 10‑year period of time, FTEs in the general government sector went from 26,000 –
CHAIR – No, 23.
Mr SWAIN – 23,671.
Ms O’CONNOR – To June 2025 –
Mr SWAIN – To 33,359.
I think when we are able to get you that pre-COVID year, I think what it will say is there has been significant growth, particularly since COVID. What we’re talking about, in relation to 2800 is returning back to that pre-growth number. But we will get that number.
