Budget estimates is provided as an opportunity for Parliament to scrutinise the budget on behalf of the community. However, this year, Labor wanted to talk about anything other than the budget and failed to land a single blow.
Even worse, inexperienced leader Bec White fluffed her chance to go head to head with the Premier on day one, with her first question asked on behalf of the unions about social media protocols for state servants – hardly the number one issue for Tasmanians.
Ms White’s questions typified Labor’s navel gazing obsession – things such as RTIs, who went to what meeting, and who said what and when.
The Tasmanians I talk to care about the big issues like health, jobs, education and the economy – issues that are the focus of this budget – and issues that Labor ignored all week.
As for Labor’s so-called Alternative Budget, their “little red book” didn’t rate a mention all week and no one, it seems, has yet found which bed it’s been hidden under since last Tuesday.
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