Labor says Peter Dutton’s talk of slashing and burning numbers if elected would cost billions and lead to longer wait times and reduced quality

The Coalition’s flagged cuts to the federal public service could cost taxpayers billions of dollars more, the Albanese government has warned, as figures reveal the workforce has surged by more than 30,000 in three years.

The number of public servants has risen to more than 185,000 as of June, a 9.4% increase on the previous year, the latest State of the Service report from the Australian Public Service Commission shows.

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