Victoria to cut 1,000 public service jobs in bid to slash government spending

The Victorian government will cut 1,000 jobs from the public sector but the state’s treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, pictured, did not accept all the recommendations of a review that would have led to 2,068 job losses. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

The Victorian government will slash 1,000 public service jobs, including more than 300 executive positions, and merge several entities, as part of its response to an independent review into the sector, which it claims will save $4bn.

But the treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, has not accepted every recommendation of the review into the Victorian public service (VPS), led by Helen Silver and released on Thursday, which called for a far larger reduction of 2,068 positions.