$24 million in Liberal education cuts revealed
Eric Abetz fought tooth and nail last week to keep the details of the Liberals massive cuts to essential services hidden from Tasmanians.
Now the details have seen the light of day, it's easy to see why.
The documents, which had to be prised out of the Treasurer's hands after he failed to comply with an order of the Parliament, reveal there were approximately $24 million worth of cuts to education this year alone - made up of $13.5 million in "Structural Savings" and $10.6 million in "One Off Savings".
Most worryingly, the documents show $22.5 million of Eric Abetz' cuts affect "in school education", at a time when Tasmania's education outcomes trail the nation.
The cuts included $5.7 million in salary savings including "targeted reductions" (aka jobs cuts), and $3.8 million in non-salary savings including "not passing on indexation" (aka school budgets not keeping pace with inflation).
These facts won't be lost on an education workforce that has been disrespected for months as they fight for fair pay and conditions.
Eric Abetz has even cut $500,000 from the Student Assistance Scheme for disadvantaged families, showing he'll stop at nothing in his quest to cut services from Tasmanians who need it most.
As a former teacher, I believe in the power of public education to build opportunities for all Tasmanians.
The Liberals have spent 13 years racking up waste, and now Eric Abetz is cutting the guts out of one of the most critical public services to pay for it.
