Tasmanian unions are warning more frontline health staff will be lost, even though the pressure to make departmental savings has eased.
Last year’s budget cut $210 million from the health system, so far 221 positions have been shed from health.
In the Liberal Government’s second budget released last week, health received $100 million over the next four years.
There is no backroom to clear out so the Government’s going to have to make decisions about front line services.
Tim Jacobsen Secretary HACSU
But the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) secretary Tim Jacobson said that merely reduced the savings task still required.
“There is [a] substantial more degree of heavy lifting required right across the Department of Health over the course of this year,” he said.
“We estimate that to be in the order of 130 more jobs to go.”
Mr Jacobson said he expected some of those positions would have to come from the front line.
“There is no backroom to clear out so the Government’s going to have to make decisions about frontline services,” he said.
“They will have to make strategic decisions now about what positions and right across the agencies should go, because we are in the circumstances where losing ones and twos can have major effect on services provided to the community.”
Premier Will Hodgman and Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff were today at Taroona High School talking up the Government’s high school upgrade package.
Taroona was the only southern school among seven to be added to the list to share in $68 million worth of school building improvements.
Mr Hodgman said updates on the savings targets would be provided in “due course”.
“The heavy lifting’s been done but we will stay the course so we can get the budget back under control,” he said.
By the end of June, 870 public service positions will have been cut since the 2014 budget.
The Government expects the remaining 300 jobs to be shed by natural attrition over the next three years.
Greens court small business, Labor promising compassion
The State Opposition and the Greens will each get their chance to respond to the budget in Parliament tomorrow.
Labor leader Bryan Green plans to outline a “more compassionate” alternative and focus on mining and forestry, but would not reveal any details.
The Tasmanian Greens have unveiled two new spending initiatives so far.
They are promising to cut an average of $570 off small businesses’ power bills.
The Greens would raid a $220 million fund set aside for unforseen future infrastructure needs to pay for the $40 million policy.
The party also wants to spend $50 million of the infrastructure fund on affordable housing and use another $10 million to deliver free energy efficiency upgrades.