Victorian public servants hit back at Labor’s planned job cuts with push to curb ‘executive bloat’ instead

Mitch Vandewerdt-Holman (holding up sign) at a protest outside Victoria’s parliament against the government’s planned public service cuts. Photograph: Sam McColl

A group of public servants vying for union leadership roles are pushing back against the Victorian government’s mooted public sector job cuts with a cost-saving plan of their own, calling instead for reductions in “executive bloat”, halving consultant spending and reducing office space.

The group, known as the Voice for Members (AVFM), on Tuesday released an 89-page report, dubbed the Gold Review – a nod to the government’s review into the Victorian public service (VPS) led by Helen Silver – outlining $13bn in cost-saving and revenue-generating measures.