Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Friday 5th March 2010

Labor blows the budget

The TCCI Spendometer clearly shows that Labor pork-barreling is out of control and a Labor/Green minority government would take Tasmania back into net debt.

Labor promises have ballooned out to $316.9 million, well ahead of the Liberals’ fiscally conservative $265.5 million worth of commitments.

While Labor has no idea how it is going to pay for its promises, the Liberals have identified $128.7 million in savings by cutting Labor’s waste in areas like the army of ministerial staff, travel and government advertising and spin. We can make these savings without sacking people or cutting services.

What Tasmanians must remember is that all the commitments made by the Liberals are fully costed and fully funded. What you see is what you will get under a majority Hodgman Liberal Government.

However, who knows which promises a Labor/Green minority government would keep and which ones they would abandon. It’s clear that they would both have to abandon most of their promises, given that combined the Greens and Labor have promised about $800 million in additional spending, which would be a disaster for Tasmania.

What this shows is that only a majority Hodgman Liberal Government can deliver real change for Tasmanians and our economy.