800 jobless in 8 months

Treasurer Peter Gutwein revealed the breakdown of his government's job cuts to Parliament yesterday, after rejecting an offer from unions of an across-the-board pay freeze.

The pay freeze failure means 460 jobs will be cut this financial year, in addition to the 361 announced in the budget.

The equivalent of 266 full-time positions will be shed from the Education Department, while the Department of Health and Human Services will shed 224 workers.

Mr Gutwein said he had no other choice if the budget was to get back to a sustainable footing.

"We simply cannot allow the budget position to get worse," he said.

"If we don't start to fix the problems now, the actions that will need to be taken in future years will be even more severe."

The Department of State Growth will lose 174 positions, or more than 21 per cent of its workforce.

Police have been spared the axe, after the Police Association agreed in principle to an 18-month pay freeze.

Mr Gutwein said the government had already received 823 expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies and the early retirement program.

Opposition Leader Bryan Green said Mr Gutwein's ministerial statement was a disgrace.

"We've got a situation where you're going through the public service like a dose of salts because of your own ineptitude," he told Parliament.

"I think it is a dog act to treat people in the way that you are."

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Tom Lynch said the state was already feeling the impact of the cuts on services.

"We're hearing all sorts of things that will come as a shock to the community," he said.

Mr Lynch said the cuts to State Growth were contrary to the state government's agenda.

"It's not just the number of staff - these are people with specific skills needed to develop businesses in this state," he said.