Be careful who you vote for. Especially in Victoria.

Just reading a piece in the Aussie Spec by Rebecca Weisser about Victoria. Rebecca wrote this:

Unemployment (in Victoria) is also higher than anywhere else in Australia except the Northern Territory, although there is a boom in public servants paying themselves ever higher salaries.

After a decade of Labor government, Victoria’s public service has doubled in size, and its wages bill has also doubled. At the same time, there are staffing shortages in essential service providers – teachers, police, nurses, paramedics, aged care workers – just no shortage of fat cats.

I thought interesting so decided to look up the data. I looked from 2010, the year Daniel Andrews became Premier and according to the ABS:

• At June 2010, Victoria had 316,000 public sector employees whose salaries and wages totalled $19.13 billion.

• At June 2024, Victoria had 486,000 public sector employees whose salaries and wages totalled $42.99 billion.

But wait. There’s more. Also according to the ABS:

• At June 2010, Victoria’s population was 5.55 million

• At June 2024, Victoria’s population was 6.99 million

So over the (so far) 14 odd years of Labor government in Victoria:

• Population increased by 26% increase; but

• The number of public servants increased by 53%; and

• The payroll for these public servants increased by 125%.

Using the magic of mathematics, over these 14 years:

• The number of Victorian public servants needed to “service” each Victorian decreased from 17.6 to 14.4.

• The cost per Victorian for the Victorian public service increased from $3,460 to $6,150 - a 78% increase.

Impressive. Really impressive.

Retiring Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said the following in his way out the door:

After 10 years of being the longest-serving stand-alone treasurer the state has ever had … I think we can look back and say the economy is solid, the fiscal position is improving and sound,

There you go.

What more can be said.