“The government’s spending less in Tasmania’s hospitals,” he said.

“If you compare what’s budgeted to be spent over the next 12 months to what was actually spent over the last year, it’s a reduction of $15 million.

“The ‘record’ increase in spending the government is boasting about ignores the real cost of delivering health services.”

Mr Bacon said the government was comparing budget projections, not spending in real terms.

“The budget papers reveal that the actual spending on health in 2016-17 is $1.475 billion. The government has budgeted for $1.460 billion in 2017-18.”

Mr Bacon quoted economist John Lawrence, who said, “if the system is in crisis spending less is unlikely to fix the problem”.

“The government is trying to fix the crisis in our hospitals by spending $15 million less than last year,” Mr Bacon said.

“Tasmanians will rightly expect this budget to have an immediate impact on services in our hospitals, especially in emergency departments.

“That will be the true test for Will Hodgman, Peter Gutwein and Michael Ferguson.”

Ms O’Connor has accused the government of trying to “repair some of the damage caused in health”, which she says was slashed in the Liberals’ first budget.

“The increased health investment repairs some of the damage caused by past cuts, but not all,” she said. 

“The Liberals have big-noted their investment, but it’s no great feat to revive a service that was gutted in the first budget.

“This budget delivers no leadership, vision, or evidence-based policies that will cause any meaningful change in deeply entrenched structure issues like youth unemployment.

“A big positive in this year’s budget is the long overdue and much needed investment in mental health services.”

READ MORE: Q&A with Health Minister Michael Ferguson on the budget.