First there was Kennet with Geof Spring ( he did a warm up trying to wreck the system in the NT), now there is Brumby. Teachers have been bashed by societies right through history. Education is neglected because the wealthy see it as a way to entrench their position. They see all public servants as servants to their needs. ie look at the treatment of nurses, the lousy incentives to improve the police force and so on. The only happy people are the bean counters because they think they have the ultimate power, and they do under certain circumstances. The best comment was Hawke "No children will live in poverty by the year 2000." Then he failed because he was so busy massaging his stupid ego.

It is not just public service personnel - it flows through to all service personnel in private industry as well. Just look at the award rate for cleaners, agricultural workers and hospitality workers ... and these people rarely have a full time position.