Fear of cuts to frontline services grow as Victoria grapples with funding crisis

Pour one out for those doing it tough as a public in the first question people ask, what's your cheapest beer? The opposition says the state is becoming a hostile place to run a business, pointing to new analysis to argue an overtaxed private sector is being used to pay down soaring debt to the point where many businesses either can't afford to keep going or are looking at relocating their operations Interstate. My biggest growth is is the payroll tax. I nearly fell over when I saw the bill. Like 100,000. Making ends meet is on more than a few mines. As rumours of savage health cuts swirl, some health staff were this week urged to turn the lights off when they leave a room. As Alfred Health scrambles to save every sense, A staff letter warned the model budget was significantly less than planned for. And we will have to stop things we've been able to do and there will be less of us to do it. Many health services in Victoria are on the brink of collapse. Essentially nothing is off the table in terms of these cuts. The assistant Treasurer refused to be drawn. We've provided record funding to our health. System again, no government has invested this amount of funding in the state's history. No government in the history of Victoria has invested more into our health and hospital system. Medical groups fear there's worse to come and key services could be wound back. That includes hospital beds, including special care nursery beds. It includes services like breast screen, elective surgery. Budgets for the state's health services are still being drafted, so no changes have been finalised. But the ABC understands a clearer picture will emerge in the coming weeks.