Victorian public service union refuses to support Labor in state election

The Community and Public Sector Union will not support the Labor government at the Victorian state election on 28 November 2026, the Guardian reported. The public servants union is condemning the administration led by Premier Carroll for cutting public sector positions while directing 1.2 billion dollars toward external consultants. [1]

The union denounces the actions of the state government as privatization by stealth, according to the Guardian. The CPSU is scheduled to formally announce its decision on Wednesday, joining a growing number of labor unions that are refusing to endorse Labor or are actively campaigning against the current government. [1]

The word public originates from the Latin adjective publicus, which referred to matters belonging to the state or people as opposed to private matters. The Latin term applied to state institutions and funds administered for communal benefit. [2]

The dispute in Australia comes amid wider international unrest concerning government spending on public services. As FTMQ News reported earlier, France has faced weeks of student-led protests and street disorder over teacher shortages and cuts to public services. [3][4]