A report card released today by the Centre for Independent Studies shows that under the Hodgman Government Tasmania’s finances are strong and ranked as the second best in the country.
The CIS Report Card on State Finances ranks each state according to key indicators. Tasmania’s financial management is ranked second, equal with Victoria and just behind New South Wales.
Tasmania ranks highly because the Hodgman Government has kept debt and taxes low, balanced the budget and kept a lid on spending. This Report shows that we are on the right track and because of that we are able to invest more in vital frontline services like health, education and supporting Tasmanians in need.
Under Labor and the Greens, the budget was hundreds of millions of dollars in deficit, the economy was in recession, unemployment reached 8.6 per cent and Tasmanians were leaving in droves to find work on the mainland. The Hodgman Government has turned all of that around and we are now one of the best performing States in the country.
This is the latest in a string of key reports that shows the Hodgman Government’s long-term plan is delivering. It follows MyState’s economic update said that Tasmania’s economy had “reached new heights”, Deloitte Access Economics said that retail and tourism were driving economic growth, the TCCI said that confidence is rebounding right around the State, Sensis ranked the Hodgman Government as the most popular government in the country with small businesses and CommSec confirmed that Tasmania’s economic performance is improving, ranking Tasmania fourth compared to other states and territories.
We know there is more to be done, and we are committed to keeping the budget in balance, investing more in health, education and supporting Tasmanians in need and stimulating the economy to create more jobs and to keep the momentum going.
The Report is available here - https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2017/02/rr23-snapshot.pdf