Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Tuesday 19th January 2010

Treasurer’s secret process exposed-must be stopped

Yesterday’s revelation that the Treasurer has been secretly working on more changes to his water and sewerage reforms without even informing the owners of the assets, local government, is very concerning and symptomatic of the way this arrogant Government goes about its business.

It demonstrates a level of stealth and secrecy that Tasmanians do not deserve from their Government. The way that the Treasurer has managed this process underlines the contempt in which he obviously holds local government.

Furthermore, what does it say about a Treasurer, who decides to quietly slip out terms of reference for a major review under the cover of Christmas without writing formally to the owners, local government, or even so much as issuing a press release calling for comment?

We know that the Treasurer is gun-shy after his 2009 ‘annus horribilus’ featuring three major policy bungles - Land Tax, the failed TOTE sale and the water and sewerage chaos – but to trigger a major review of water and sewerage without even telling the owners of the water and sewerage is either incompetence or deliberately deceptive.

The Treasurer just does not learn from his mistakes. When you consistently fail to consult, when you keep information hidden, when you try and ram through your agenda when you’re the only person who thinks it’s right, then you are bound to fail and that’s exactly what the Treasurer has done.

This review must stop immediately and be postponed until after the election, because if I were the Treasurer I would not want to receive the recommendations of a review that has been conducted in such a flawed, secretive and unprofessional way.