Imagine if in NSW we had a public service that was properly resourced, where good staff were appreciated, and positions weren’t left unfilled for months at a time.

As 2010 gets underway, I’m hoping we will finally see change in the way the State Government approaches public services.

Stop the Cell Off Rally: Time to invest in better services, not privatise them

Instead of seeing public services as a problem, as a drain on government finances, we need a government willing to do what is necessary to improve public services.

We need a government that stops cutting programs that benefit those most in need. We need resources and equipment that work so we can do our jobs quickly and efficiently. And we need more staff so we don’t spend all day doing someone else’s job before we can do our own. The NSW public deserves no less.

Unfortunately the public service in NSW is becoming a less appealing place to work, as job freezes, pay cuts and a lack of resources make even the smallest things a challenge.

We’ve got positions that aren’t being filled even though there are bright and enthusiastic people ready to step up. Being a public servant, whether you are a DoCS worker like me, a ranger in a National Park, a prison officer at Goulburn or a school admin officer, is becoming more and more frustrating.

There is also a lack of resources that means it can take twice as long to do something that should take no time at all. If we had departments that were properly resourced, there wouldn’t be the backlog of work there is now.

And each year we lose more and more excellent and experienced staff who leave to work in the private sector, or who simply retire. But time and again we fail to replace them or train new people.

Instead of improving our services by giving departments what they need to be able to work effectively, there seems to be a never-ending cycle of cuts.

It needs to stop.

So in 2010 lets send a clear message to the NSW Government that our public services are suffering needlessly and it’s time something was done about it.

What would make your job easier in 2010?