Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Liberal government will cut public service jobs ''more effectively'' than Labor.
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Mr Abbott said on Wednesday that revelations of thousands of jobs slashed in the service last year did not change his plans to shed another 12,000 workers through ''natural attrition'' if his party wins power in the federal election in September.
The latest snapshot of Commonwealth public service employment from the Public Service Commission indicates that more than 2600 jobs were lost between June and December 2012. Some of the larger departments cut heavily, with Defence and Human Services each shedding up to 1000 jobs and the Australian Taxation Office cutting 420 positions.
But Mr Abbott said the latest numbers made no difference to his stated policy towards the public sector. ''The fact that under this government there has been a very slight reduction in numbers demonstrates that it can be done and it will be done much better and much more effectively under a Coalition government,'' he said.
The Opposition Leader's comments drew immediate criticism from the Community and Public Sector Union, with national secretary Nadine Flood comparing Mr Abbott's approach to the public service with that of hardline Queensland Premier Campbell Newman.
''Mr Abbott's comments confirm that, just like Campbell Newman in Queensland, the Coalition is determined to slash thousands of public sector jobs, regardless of the changing environment,'' Ms Flood said.
''And just like in Queensland, we are deeply concerned the 12,000 cuts Mr Abbott has promised will just be the beginning.
''Slashing jobs and services is in his DNA. Liberals always cut and the community always hurts.
''Mr Abbott needs to come clean - before the election - and tell the Australian people which services he will be cutting as he slashes $70 billion from government spending.''
The Canberra Liberals' Senate candidate, Liberal MLA Zed Seselja, took to Twitter to accuse Labor of hypocrisy.
The size of the bureaucracy has emerged as a focus of this year's federal election campaign, after the opposition committed to reducing the public service by 12,000 staff through a hiring freeze.
