The Hodgman Government is getting on with the job of delivering on our Plan to Build Tasmania’s Future.
This week the Government signed an historic agreement with TasWater which delivers on our promise at the election – lower prices for consumers and a quicker fix for the state’s vital water and sewerage infrastructure.
Among the five Bills we introduced to Parliament, the Government reintroduced legislation to ensure mandatory sentences for child sex offenders and to protect off-duty police officers from assault.
Both of these reforms are overwhelmingly supported by Tasmanians and it is high time Labor and the Greens stopped their crass political games and join with the Government to pass these laws.
The Hodgman Liberal Government’s Tasmanian Health Service Bill passed the House of Assembly. The Bill delivers stronger local decision-making in our hospitals, reduces bureaucracy and saves taxpayers around $4 million over four years which will be reinvested in frontline health services.
The Bill supports our record $757 million health investment which will deliver 298 new beds, 802 more nurses, 158 more doctors, 128 more allied health professionals and 182 more support staff.
Also in Parliament this week, the Premier tabled our agenda for 2018, which sets out our Plan for the first year of the re-elected majority Hodgman Liberal Government.
On Thursday, the Premier and Deputy Premier announced TT-Line has signed contracts to deliver two new, next generation Spirits for Tasmania.
The next generation Spirits will be more than 30 per cent larger than the current ships allowing for more passengers and freight. The new Spirits will help boost our tourism industry and support our exporters with first sailings expected in 2021.
The Government also secured Commonwealth funding for the Scottsdale Irrigation Scheme. Work will begin immediately on the $57.3 million Scheme which will turbo-charge agricultural production in North-East Tasmania.
Yesterday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released figures showing Tasmania’s exports are booming, growing by 36.4 per cent in the year to March 2018 compared to the previous year. The figures are proof positive of the success of the Government’s Plan to open up new markets for Tasmanian goods.
Also, the Government announced a review into the Electoral Act. This is a responsible step following any State Election and will ensure our democratic processes are contemporary and in-line with changing community expectations.
This week also saw the successful outcome of arbitration between Hydro Tasmania and the Tasmanian Gas Pipeline. The outcome will provide certainty and security for gas customers large and small throughout Tasmania.
And finally, the John Duigan is set to sail, improving freight access to and from King Island.
While this is an impressive list of achievements, we know there is much more work to be done.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is focused and getting on with the job of delivering on our Plan to take Tasmania to the next level.