It was always going to be a hard task for Treasurer Peter Gutwein to sell efficiency dividends as good for the bottom line.
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However, that task has become slightly harder after it was revealed the health and education departments would face harsh cuts.
Under new figures released on Wednesday, the under-pressure health budget will be slashed by $11.79 million and education will lose about $10 million.
If there are ever two areas that get people fired up, it's cuts to health and education services.
In a world where Tasmanian residents experience some of the worst health outcomes and our emergency departments experience frequent ambulance ramping, cutting funding in any capacity from the health budget will never be sold as a good thing.
In addition, the state government has a policy to increase teachers in Tasmanian schools by 250 over six years and increase teacher assistants.
Those wages have to come from somewhere - let's hope the efficiency dividend does not end up eating into teachers' wages.
Because without the extra teachers, working conditions and class sizes will not improve, which will have an adverse impact on our children and the state's future.
While the job of Mr Gutwien is an unenviable position and it would be a complicated one, it remains to be seen on how big an impact these cuts will have.
Health experts have already warned the government cuts now will only create greater problems in the future.
For some, $10 million might not seem much, but it can mean the world to our teachers, nurses, doctors and principals, who all play an important role in our economy and communities.
Health and education were not the only departments slated for budget cuts, with the House of Assembly, Integrity Commission, Legislative Council, Tasmanian Audit Office, and Tourism Tasmania also in the firing line.
Many of these organisations play an important role in creating transparency in government processes.
The spotlight will now be on the government once those dividends are in place to ensure these departments and services are not reduced in their capacity to deliver positive outcomes for Tasmania.