Labor has no credibility on budget matters, they left Tasmania with $1.1 billion in accumulated deficits, and net debt forecast to rise to $400 million.
Suggestions that we will need further job reductions in order to deliver our budget outcome are wrong.
The two percent wages policy in the budget is fully funded, and there will be no new job cuts.
Moody's statement does, however, highlight the folly of the unions' three percent wage claim, which is being actively aided and abetted by Labor.
The union claim would cost the budget an additional $180 million over the forward estimates which is the equivalent of 1,800 jobs.
I would urge Labor and the unions to stop playing political games with their members' livelihoods and instead work within the framework of our two percent wages policy, which is above the rate of inflation and which will protect their members' jobs.