Thursday 26 July 2012

My Sister's Letter



















My brother-in-law, a senior public servant who has worked for Treasury for 35 years, has been given the boot.

It was obviously a mistake to believe the premier when he said before the election -

"An LNP Government will also commit to no forced redundancies."

That particular lie was very significant for one family.

My sister wrote to the Courier Mail, but her letter wasn't published. It will be published here.

 
Dear Mr Newman,

I live a very ordinary life in suburbia. In an ordinary house that needs more and more maintenance and a garden that has never really been finished. Been blessed with 4 beautiful children, one born 10 years after the others. And married to a quiet, generous to a fault, bright, hard working man. Who has always been a great Dad and still is. Who loves reading, bushwalking, Phantom comics, watching his daughter play hockey and generally being an easy going, kind hearted and stoic individual who was taught these qualities growing up in a large family very similar to my own.

For the last 35 years, my husband has been a public servant. He has worked hard bringing his personal integrity to his job and the kids and I have learnt to adapt to him always returning home in the dark. The family plan was for Mum and Dad to work until the youngest child finished high school and the mortgage was paid off. But that all changed this week. We found out that my husband is facing retrenchment. As are the rest of the people in his unit.

Now as many people have told me- retrenchments are happening everywhere, the state is in debt, etc. But that doesn't help while I lie next to my husband tossing and turning at night trying to consider his future (and the rest of the family's future as well). My husband doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He is not "dead wood", he is not a lazy "pen pusher" but a good man who deserves some loyalty from his employer. Just as he has shown for the last 35 years. 

Regards,
Anne

This is one family for whom Newman's promises have a very hollow ring. The cost of living becomes a major issue when you don't have a job.

As my nephew said the other day - now it's personal.....
 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the unit involved here is superfluous to requirements to serve the public adequately and in a financially sustainable manner. If the unit were needed it would not be terminated. What are your thoughts and without emotion?

1735099 said...

"If the unit were needed it would not be terminated."
This has nothing to do with providing a service to the public, and everything to do with LNP spin. The DGs have simply been told the numbers they are expected to cut.

Anonymous said...

Robert the needs of the community far outweigh the emotional plea of your post. The need of the community can be met without input from the "unit" you speak of or else it would no be terminated. Brother in law made a poor choice in career path.....learn to live with it.

1735099 said...

Working as I do with people with disabilities in South Western Queensland, and seeing the personal costs of the LNP's withdrawal of respite care funds; I make no apologies for being "emotional".
As for my brother-in-law's career choice - it served his family well for 35 years until a liar was elected.
BTW, blogging etiquette demands you use my tag. Do so or you won't be posted in future.

Anonymous said...

Brother in law obviously didn't foresee the possibility of the unit being superceded or eradicated or he would have chosen a different path. A bit like not seeing the global financial crisis coming and shoring up the investments in "safe" stuff, eh 1735099. (Hope I spelt it correctly) I would be sure you are still blaming some one else for your misfortune.
You keep referring to your experience with the disabled as a source of your emotional side. I am sure your hatred of everything LNP was nothing to do with your experience in that arena.

1735099 said...

Given my brother-in-law started work over thirty-five years ago, he would have needed to be Nostradamus to foresee the current situation.
My "experience" with people with disabilites has nothing to do with emotion. It was a career choice. Because I have been in the field for over forty years, I'm in a pretty good position to compare the impact of government policy over time. I have no hatred for the LNP, but judge them by their policies.

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