Victorian brace for budget cuts with health, education, disability support and public housing at risk

As work continues on a new train station in Pakenham, the government is laying the tracks for a tough budget, but the assistant treasurer is towing the line. Obviously in relation to the budget itself, that’s a matter for the treasurer. Again, questions on budget are a matter for the treasurer, but again, I think those details will be announced by the treasurer. New Parliamentary Budget Office analysis requested by the opposition shows more than 100 government programs worth billions of dollars have no funding certainty beyond this financial year. Whether it’s health, whether it’s education, child protection, Rd. maintenance, you name it, every area of service delivery is on the chopping block. While some are short term measures that have run their course, health and education could be hardest hit with question marks over billions of dollars worth of programs. Departments like jobs, transport and finance bear less of the potential branch. No one in Victoria is safe. No Victorian is safe. The government expects Melbourne’s population to swell to 8,000,000 by 2050. Which is why the assistant treasurer was keen to spoke programs that are pushing ahead, like transport upgrades in Melbourne’s outer E. It’s a huge, boothful productivity in this growing corridor. The government says it’s also getting on with other election commitments like the Suburban Rail Loop, while the union argues staff restructures and the threat of job losses on the Metro Tunnel project could make some commitments difficult to achieve. They’re dumping it all at once and that’s making it very hard for a coordinated response to help these people. The last forecast put the state’s next death at nearly $180 billion in three years time. One big question is if and how Tim Palace’s 10th budget will make a dent on that figure. The Treasurer this week said the state’s material position had improved, but we may not know more until May 7.