Chris Hipkins is defending public servants in the firing line. 

Just yesterday, more than a-thousand job cutting proposals were announced at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki combined. 

The Government's suggesting some of the cost savings could be re-invested into frontline services. 

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking that he doesn't agree the public service had been 'bloating' under his leadership. 

He said the people losing their jobs are delivering valuable services like the food in schools programme or curriculum work. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

• Class warfare: Education Ministry cuts 'strike at heart', Govt promises to reinvest
• "Frontline was out of scope": Children's Minister confident in Oranga Tamariki restructure
• 'Savage cuts': Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki look to slash 1000 jobs
• 400 jobs to go at Oranga Tamariki; cuts called 'extreme'