The only question left unanswered from Parliament is how would Rebecca White and Labor fund their proposed $280 million cash splash on an unsustainable, unaffordable 3 per cent public sector wage rise?
Today in Parliament, Rebecca White effectively argued that the reduction in the national GST pool means we shouldn’t have funded infrastructure, shouldn’t fund election promises that Tasmanians voted for, shouldn’t fund $105 million in additional health spending or fund out-of-home care for vulnerable children.
In fact, Ms White alleged that the Government had ‘squandered’ the budgeted surplus even though we are spending it by responding to demand in health, children and Justice. Yet, in the same breath they are demanding that we add $280 million to the Government’s wages bill.
Rebecca White and Labor are all over the place on budget management, though it’s unsurprising given their past record on financial management.
Tasmanians have not forgotten that Labor delivered deficits every year of their last term.
Nor have they forgotten that when they ran out of money, Michelle O’Byrne sacked a nurse a day for nine months, and David O’Byrne sacked 108 Police Officers, all signed off by Rebecca White who was a member of Labor’s Budget cuts committee.
Tasmanians can rest assured that the Hodgman Liberal Government will not be pulling back on our record investment into infrastructure, nor will we be selling government businesses.
As I have said repeatedly, the Budget will be released on 23 May and the Government will need to cut its cloth to suit its circumstances. We will work through these matters responsibly and sensibly as Tasmanians would expect.