The minority Liberal Government’s $450 million job cuts forecast in the Budget, have still not been detailed with the end of the financial year less than a week away.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein told Budget Estimates hearings three weeks ago, he was meeting with departmental secretaries but Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said the Treasurer had refused to say which jobs were in the Liberals’ firing line.
“Following years of the Treasurer’s poor financial management, the Government is now scratching around for $450 million in public service job cuts,” Mr Bacon said.
“Mr Gutwein said he was meeting with departmental bosses three weeks ago. Does he honestly expect Tasmanians to believe departmental budgets haven’t been set five days out from the next financial year?
“The Treasurer must inform Tasmanians if the struggling areas of health and housing will be subject to cuts when they can least afford it.”
The Government is still yet to reveal who is on its budget razor gang.
“The Treasurer seems desperate to keep his public service slash and burn program hidden from the community,” Mr Bacon said.
“People deserve to know who will make decisions about job cuts and they deserve to know why.”
Scott Bacon MP
Shadow Treasurer
