When Premier Rockliff put Eric Abetz in charge of cutting jobs and services to pay for 13 years of Liberal waste, you didn’t have to be psychic to see what would happen next.

Any Tasmanian could tell you that Tasmania’s public services – many of which are already at breaking point – would suffer.

The Secretary of the Department of Justice has now spelled that out in a memo, telling staff that it wasn’t her “expectation that any of you take on more work to fill the gaps created by vacancies remaining unfilled while this process occurs”.

Effectively, work in the already over-worked justice department will slow down or even stop altogether, possibly resulting in even worse court backlogs and reduced access to important services like Legal Aid and Safe at Home family violence services.

Plus, the added impact and stress on workers already under enormous pressure.

Eric Abetz’s cuts are becoming more than just a number on a page – they are starting to have real impact on the lives of all Tasmanians who rely on public services.