Tasmania will slay its debt dragon with across-the-board cuts, pledging a surplus in two years and to keep borrowings a whisker under $10 billion.
Treasurer Eric Abetz produced his first full budget on Thursday, and a new fiscal strategy, including $1.5 billion of "operational efficiencies" over four years.
Those cuts, worth $216 million next year, will produce a $597 million deficit in 2026/27, with health bearing the heaviest load.
Health Minister Bridget Archer has been asked to find $131 million worth of savings in 2026/27 alone.
The government argues these savings are offset by an uplift from Canberra, but the raw figures show less taxpayer money going to hospitals, emergency departments and mental health services.
The bureaucracy will also be targeted with 1700 job losses planned across the government through attrition and voluntary redundancies.
