Axe falls on hundreds of health, education jobs in Tasmania
Tasmania's Treasurer has outlined hundreds of job cuts across the public sector.
Peter Gutwein used a ministerial statement to detail how 861 position will be axed across Government agencies and departments.
Mr Gutwein said 266 education department jobs would be culled between now and June and 224 positions being cut from health.
The newly formed State Growth Department has the highest number of job cuts per capita, with 174 jobs to go over the coming eight months.
Mr Gutwein said only frontline police jobs were safe because the Police Association has offered in-principle agreement for an 18-month wage freeze.
"We will quarantine frontline police services from any additional savings required," he said.
"In other words through acting maturely and responsibly the Police Association has effectively saved the jobs of around 40 employees.
"The Government will take a strategic approach to implementing the remaining alternative savings initiatives needed in the absence of the temporary pay freeze."
Opposition Leader Bryan Green was quick to condemn the cuts.
"I can only describe the ministerial statement that's just been put forward by the Treasurer as a dog act," he said.
"It's a disgrace that you've got your workforce wanting to negotiate with you and yet you put out a document with no emotion whatsoever in the way that you delivered it."
Public sector union boss Tom Lynch warned the cuts would hurt government services.
"You can't see 821 jobs cut in six months and not see services demolished in Tasmania," he said.
Former Labor Premier Lara Giddings accused Premier Will Hodgman of callousness and of breaking a fundamental election pledge.
"Today is a very sad day... for public servants across the state and here we had the Premier with an opportunity to at least show some sympathy, show some emotion, show some thought for the people today who are frightened," she said.
Mr Gutwein agreed the cuts would be hard to swallow.
"What I've announced today will be challenging for many people to accept, however we have to get on with the job that Tasmanians elected us for."
