Dutton Backtracks on Work-From-Home Policy Amid Election Pressure
So, here’s what’s been making waves in Australian politics this week—Peter Dutton and the Coalition have pulled a serious U-turn on their controversial work-from-home policy. Originally, they came out swinging, declaring that if they won the 2025 federal election, all public servants would be required to return to the office full-time. But now, Dutton’s softened his stance, limiting the mandate only to Canberra-based public servants.
This shift seems to be more about damage control than genuine policy reform. According to recent polling by YouGov, the initial plan contributed to a noticeable dip in Dutton’s personal approval ratings—particularly in electorates with a high number of professional women. That’s not exactly a shocker. Let’s be real: flexible work is a big deal for a lot of working families, especially women juggling childcare and careers.
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Dutton, however, claims the policy was misrepresented by Labor as a scare tactic. He insists it was never meant to impact the private sector or public servants outside Canberra. But here's the kicker—his own shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, said just a month ago that the expectation was for all public service employees to return to the office five days a week. So… which is it?
The back-and-forth hasn’t gone unnoticed. Employment experts are already saying that this kind of sweeping mandate wouldn’t even hold up under current enterprise agreements. Plus, let’s not forget Dutton’s grand plan to cut 41,000 public service jobs—he says it's to fix Labor’s “mess,” likening it to the dramatic public service overhaul by the Howard government in 1996. That’s a throwback no one asked for, especially considering the ACT fell into recession during that time.
Critics are warning that these policies, even in their watered-down form, still hit at the heart of job security and gender equity. The Community and Public Sector Union called the approach "bizarre and chaotic," pointing out that flexible work arrangements are one of the main reasons so many women have joined and stayed in the public service. And Labor’s Katy Gallagher didn’t mince words either—she called the Coalition’s plan a thinly veiled attack on services like Medicare, childcare, and social support.
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about who sits where during office hours. It’s about how adaptable and empathetic our leaders are to the realities of modern working life. Dutton’s pivot might have been strategic, but it leaves a big question mark about what a Coalition-led future actually looks like for everyday Australians. Especially those outside the bubble of Canberra.
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