AFP boss Reece Kershaw says public sector cuts could prevent cops from investigating child sex abuse cases

Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw say potential public sector job cuts flagged by the Coalition would result in police not being able to investigate child sexual abuse cases. Appearing at senate estimates on Tuesday, Mr Kershaw urged government to increase police resources, especially in its Operation Tenterfield initiative that targets cases involving child abuse material. “It means that we would have to re-prioritise our resources and that could lead to children being sexually abused that we can’t get to,” he said, responding to a question from Labor senator Helen Polley on the effect of potential cuts. “It is quite incredible how people do (the job) and what they have to go through,” Mr Kershaw said. He said the material seen by officers was “way worse than what you realise” and commended them for their work. “I think it is remarkable the work at our people do and if anything we need to increase our resources in that area.” Mr Kershaw’s comments come as the Coalition takes aim at the 36,000 headcount increase in the public service since Labor came to power in 2022. While the opposition said frontline services would be protected from the cuts, Labor said critical jobs were on the line. On Wednesday, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations secretary Natalie James also defended the increase in average staff levels under Labor, saying a “significant reason” was public servants being hired in place of external contractors. Using the example of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, which hires workers from Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to fill labour gaps in regional and rural Australia and in agriculture, Ms James said 250 public servants were now delivering the scheme that was previously a private enterprise. She added that any cuts would greatly affect operations and should be considered carefully, adding that “significant cuts do require departments to stop doing things or do things very differently”. “I think it’s really important that we do work efficiently and consider different ways of working,” she said. “We do have a number of people who do work that directly impacts every day on the community, and any reduction is going to involve a person in my position making choices about where to direct those resources. Those choices are not always easy.”