Empathy for those affected

It is important to differentiate the need to trim back the massive increase in the public service, with the impact it has on individuals and their families.

The next few months will be a very challenging time for many public servants. They face possibly losing their own job, but also there being very few new jobs to apply for in the next few months. This means that they have to worry about paying the mortgage, kids expenses etc. No-one should lose sight of this.

It is not the fault of individual public servants that government spending is $18 billion a year higher than Labour promised it would cap it at. The vast majority are hard working and dedicated to their jobs. The fault is the previous Ministers who managed to simultaneously oversee a huge increase in spending and in public service numbers, and also a decline in most actual public services.

So while the cuts are necessary, they should not be seen as something to celebrate. At the end of the day any family losing a source of income is a matter of great distress to them, whether they be mine workers or public servants.

Hopefully the recession will end soon, and new job opportunities will be created.