Baird silent on NSW budget nasties NSW Treasurer Mike Baird won't say if there will be any nasties in Tuesday's "responsible budget" as the opposition warns of further cuts and jobs losses. Speaking to reporters on the eve of his third budget, the treasurer hinted the government's belt-tightening measures are starting to pay off. "The real question is have we achieved those savings measures that we outlined?" he told reporters in his office at state parliament on Monday. What you will see tomorrow is that the measures we have introduced are putting NSW on a path back to a much more secure future. There have been 15,000 public sector job losses over the O'Farrell government's first two budgets, with workers at hospitals, TAFE and rail maintenance hit hardest. Mr Baird says this budget will show a continuation of efforts to control expenses while investing in the drivers of the economy and building infrastructure. Money will go where "it is absolutely essential and needed," he added. The government has already announced $6.4 billion for large infrastructure projects over four years and $1.2 billion to upgrade and redevelop hospitals. December's mid-year budget review found the surplus of $289 million for 2013-14 would be a $423 million deficit, before returning to a $1.3 billion surplus in 2014-15. Mr Baird has refused to rule out further cuts to ensure expenses do not outstrip revenue and warned "expense control" would be critical. But shadow treasurer Michael Daley has rejected Mr Baird's claims that revenues are soft, saying the government is pocketing more than ever before in GST, stamp duty, gambling taxes and driving fines. You can't talk about declining revenues when they are actually increasing. This is just smoke and mirrors. It's weasel words from Mike Baird and Barry O'Farrell. Mr Daley says it's time for the treasurer to take his foot off the pedal and "govern for people and not just the bottom line." Mike Baird needs to explain why it is when he's the highest taxing treasurer in the history of the state, with record revenues, that he is continuing to cut and slash and burn and sack.