Public service union says it won't back Labor at Victorian election
The Victorian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents public servants, says it will not support Labor at the state election on 28 November 2026. The union was scheduled to announce the decision on Wednesday 4 November, and The Guardian reported it first.
CPSU secretary Jiselle Hanna said the union cannot support Ben Carroll's government if it will not commit to no job cuts in the public service. The CPSU's Victorian branch is not formally affiliated with Labor, which means it is not part of the party's structure.
The dispute builds on a round of cuts already made. The Victorian Labor government cut about 1,000 Victorian Public Service roles, including more than 300 executive positions, following an independent review led by Helen Silver. The government says the changes delivered $4bn in savings and did not affect frontline roles.
The Victorian Public Service is a small part of the state's workforce. As of June 2025, about 58,000 people worked in it, compared with almost 400,000 across the total Victorian public sector.
The union has also turned its attention to spending on outside advice. CPSU analysis of Victorian government annual reports since 2017-18 found that Labor spent $1.2bn on consultants across 10 departments. The Department of Treasury and Finance had the highest consultant spend, at about $222m since 2017. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action had the highest annual spend, at about $86m in 2024-25.
The Victorian Coalition, the alliance of the Liberal and National parties, has committed to an indefinite hiring freeze across all back-office public service roles if it wins government. The plan is projected to save $22bn over a decade.
The CPSU has launched a campaign urging Victorians to sign a pledge supporting the public service and to avoid voting for candidates who propose cuts.
