Labor critical as ATO jobs go

THE Turnbull Government has been accused of “mindless decimation” of the public service after more cuts in staff at the Townsville office of the Australian Taxation Office.

Both the tax office and the Department of Defence have confirmed small reductions, mostly through voluntary redundancies.

Federal Labor’s assistant Treasury spokesman, Andrew Leigh, said the Government was indulging in “mindless decimation” with the ATO slashing more than 4000 jobs nationally and cuts of “nearly one in 10” across the public service.

About 10 people had lost jobs in the Townsville tax office in recent days, Mr Leigh said.

According to the Community Public Sector Union, 149 positions have been lost from the Townsville office since 2014, while other jobs cuts have occurred in Defence, the Department of Human Services, including Medicare and Centrelink, and the CSIRO.

“Malcolm Turnbull talks about multinational tax avoidance but he has slashed 4000 jobs from the tax office,” Mr Leigh said.

Townsville Labor MP Cathy O’Toole said Townsville had the highest rate of unpaid superannuation in the state of $ 53.1 million among more than 22,500 people.

Ms O’Toole said to remove roles regulating superannuation payments was “unconscionable”.

An ATO spokesman said the number of staff working on Superannuation Guarantee issues had remained relatively constant but that six temporary contractors had concluded work in 2017.

“The ATO is not undertaking a large- scale redundancy program of the nature seen in previous years, however, a relatively small number of voluntary redundancies are being progressed as a result of new technology, changed work practices, and changes to the location of functions that will better service the community,” the spokesman said.

A Defence spokesman said five roles were cut from its Estate and Infrastructure Group at Lavarack Barracks.

CPSU assistant secretary Amy Smith said the tax office had been making job cuts by stealth.

“Since 2013, there are 149 households who have lost their job or had it moved to the southeast corner. That’s 149 salaries that aren’t being spent in local businesses and 149 locals looking for work,” Ms Smith said.