Libs flag axing diversity jobs, welcome to country cash

Australians aren't better served by cultural diversity roles in the public service, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says, as he takes another leaf from the Donald Trump playbook.

Mr Dutton used a major speech on Friday to criticise cultural diversity jobs in the public sector and pledged to slash the number of public servants if elected.

"I have not met an Australian across the country ? I was in Alice Springs over the last couple of days ? who can tell me their lives are better off because the government's employed 36,000 public servants in Canberra," he said.

"I have met people ... who say their lives are worse off because of the extra bureaucratic red tape that comes with the employment of 36,000 more public servants."

He took aim specifically at "cultural diversity and inclusion adviser positions".

"Such positions ... do nothing to improve the lives of everyday Australians," he said.

"They're certainly not ... frontline service roles that can make a difference to people's lives."

More money would be spent on frontline services that make a difference, including doctors, national security and intelligence, Mr Dutton said.

But Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly said staff with lived experience - such as people with a disability or Indigenous people - meant the government could better reflect the community and deliver essential services more effectively.

"Inclusion and diversity may sound like an easy target to Mr Dutton and Mr Trump but for people who access public services, the value of having someone who speaks their language and understands their experience is immeasurable," she said.

President Donald Trump has directed US federal agencies to fire staff hired for diversity programs and axe jobs relating to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

Billionaire Elon Musk is also heading up the Trump administration's new Department of Government Efficiency, which is tasked with streamlining spending.

Following the department's announcement, Mr Dutton appointed coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to the role of government efficiency spokeswoman.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has criticised the coalition's pledge to axe public servants, arguing it would have tangible impacts including waiting times for things like veterans' pensions.

On top of thousands of people losing their jobs, Senator Gallagher questioned where the cuts would come from, citing Labor increasing resourcing to process visa backlogs, social payment claims and border enforcement.

The coalition has also started using the slogan "are you better off than you were three years ago?", replicating the rhetoric Mr Trump used in his successful presidential campaign.

Senator Price - a leading 'no' campaigner for the Indigenous voice referendum - has vowed to audit spending on Indigenous programs.

She denied the coalition was copying the Trump playbook, saying her push to improve Indigenous spending efficiency should be applied to other areas.

She criticised departments spending money on Indigenous welcome to country ceremonies, saying it didn't improve the lives of Indigenous people.

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the decision was disappointing and showed the coalition was focused on culture wars.

"It really is quite disappointing, actually - we know that the opposition leader walked out on the apology, he won't stand in front of the Indigenous flag and now he doesn't want elders doing welcome to country," she said.

"We have to really ask the question, where is the Indigenous plan for the future with the coalition and with Senator Price?"

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