Anthony Roberts MP, Member for Lane Cove said today the people of the Electorate of Lane Cove would be the big winners from Opposition Leader Peter Debnam’s announcement to free up $4.5 billion tied up in employing backroom Sydney bureaucrats, by using this money to employ more nurses, teachers and police and other critical priorities.

"The Electorate of Lane Cove is the big winner out of this policy because savings made from the Sydney bureaucracy would be diverted to improved frontline services, including more nurses, teachers and police," Mr Roberts said.

"Peter Debnam has announced a recruitment freeze on Sydney backroom bureaucrats in order to free up $4.5 billlion over four years to drought-proof NSW, build desperately needed roads infrastructure, reduce the tax burden on families and businesses and employ more nurses, teachers and police.

“The Electorate of Lane Cove will get more frontline services under a NSW Liberal Government – not less – as result of this much needed initiative to ensure we are spending money where it needs to be spent and get our economy moving again.

"The NSW Liberal/Nationals want more teachers, nurses and police and lower tax. This initiative will mean more and better frontline services in the Electorate of Lane Cove.

"This policy is about moving the priority away from funding backroom Sydney bureaucrats to our starved frontline of service delivery.

"According to the Government's own 2005 Public Employment Office Workforce Profile, around 30,000 NSW public servants retire, resign or leave each year.

"We will re-employ around 25,000 NSW public servants each year – that's five out of six – including all frontline services such as nurses, teachers and police and all public servants in rural, regional and coastal NSW.

"That means a net saving of 5,000 backroom Sydney bureaucrats every year for each of the next four years – or 20,000 in total over the first term of the government.

"Those savings will go towards more frontline services in the Electorate of Lane Cove.

"Only the NSW Liberal/Nationals will improve services and rebuild infrastructure in the Electorate of Lane Cove Anthony Roberts MP said.