THE Canberra Liberals are at odds with the Federal Government following its push for decentralisation requiring all ministers to justify whether agencies within their portfolios should remain in the big cities. 

“The Canberra Liberals are totally supportive of Canberra as the natural home of the Australian Public Service (APS),” Canberra Liberals policy convenor Ed Cocks said in a statement today (May 2).

“At the Party’s Policy Convention last week, I put the motion that The Canberra Liberals oppose the relocation of public service agencies currently located in Canberra.

“The motion was seconded by Leader of the Opposition Alistair Coe and passed unanimously by the meeting, attended by Canberra Liberals members.”

Mr Coe said Canberra is the home of the APS and APS jobs shouldn’t be seen by Federal governments, of either political stripe, as pawns to be moved around at any discretion.

“The APS is our foundation in Canberra and if Federal governments want to relocate public servants, jobs from Sydney and Melbourne should be considered, not Canberra,” he said.

“Reflective of the ACT population, many Canberra Liberals members work in the APS and understand the impacts decentralisation would have the ACT Economy, as well as our social fabric.”