'Short-term pain' to wrestle Tasmanian budget back to black in two years, Abetz says

ABC NEWS (Australia)

On the eve of the budget, Treasurer Eric Abetz has made it clear he isn't afraid of cutting spending to get the state's finances back in order and he's warning Tasmanians there is short term pain in store.  As the government searches for savings it's also facing questions about what it'll cut to fund its half-a-billion dollar bail out for TT-Line.

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00:02Attention first home builders, a grant of $20,000 will be in tomorrow's budget.

00:08Roughly 30% of our customers are first home buyers and builders, so it's very exciting that they're going to

00:14continue to get some advantages there from the government.

00:17Temper the excitement though, while the grant started at $10,000, it's been at $30,000 for the last 12

00:23months.

00:23The lower amount on offer and the end of the stamp duty exemption covering existing homes, a sign of Tasmania's

00:31dire financial times.

00:33Look, it will be a tough budget, there's no doubt about that. There will be short term pain.

00:38Compounding the budget troubles, finding half a billion dollars for Bass Strait ferry operator TT Line.

00:44Premier, what jobs and services will your Treasurer cut to pay for the bailout and can you guarantee that frontline

00:51workers won't lose their jobs?

00:53We will deliver a strong balanced budget, one that continues to invest in essential services.

01:04With frontline services like emergency departments under strain, nurses want a commitment to reach safe staffing levels.

01:11Ultimately what needs to happen is that the funding actually matches the demand.

01:15We know that in Tasmania we have an elderly population, we've got high chronic disease burden and obviously the government

01:22needs to recognise that.

01:24The not-for-profit sector meanwhile says community services need investment or else Tasmania will face higher costs in the

01:31future.

01:32All that makes quite the headache for the Treasurer.

01:35I suppose I'm a bit like the bloke that's got the wheelbarrow in front of him, the job's in front

01:41of me and it'll be delivered tomorrow.

01:43Eric Abetz has talked a big game on debt and on his willingness to cut spending.

01:48It leaves a lot of uncertainty about what might or might not get cut.

01:53One thing is locked in though, in the Treasurer's own words, there will be short term pain.

01:59Pipeline

01:59Spooning

02:00Spooning

02:01Spooning

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