So there's another brain worm going around @SkyNewsAust and the RWNJ circuit along the lines of "public sector employees need to get a pay cut because private sector is". There are a lot of problems with this so let me go through them. #auspol

1) We just passed a massive stimulus to offset wage losses. If we cut public sector wages - paid by state - and then offer them income assistance - also paid by state - that's net net no change. Performative and pointless accounting tricks are not what we need right now.

2) Many of these public sector employees are indirectly or directly engaged in #COVIDー19 response. This doesn't seem a great time to kick them if there ever was one.

3) This of course is consistent with another theme on the right of "my profits, your losses". There are no billionaires in the public sector workforce - you go there to serve your country and get a stable but not spectacular pay. Its the professional equivalent of buying bonds.

If you want to be an entrepreneur you get the upside but also a good chance of failure. Business has risk which comes with potential upside. If we re-cut deals on the fly we are going to find it even harder to get good people in the public sector.

Which means we will end up paying more to big 4 accounting firms' consulting arms to do public sector service for higher rates.