The Treasurer’s 2017-18 Annual Financial Report (TAFR) confirms that the Hodgman Liberal Government has once again balanced the budget, it is this strong financial management which has enabled us to invest more in essential services such as health and education.
The TAFR shows the Government delivered a net operating surplus of $126 million, equating to just over 2% revenue – and confirms that for the third year in a row the Government has delivered a modest budget surplus and remains free of net debt.
The Hodgman Liberal Government’s capacity to deliver a balanced budget means we are able to continue to invest in the services that matter to Tasmanians – delivering record investment in health, education and infrastructure. This drives confidence in our economy and leads to more jobs.
This is in stark contrast to the performance of the Labor-Green government, where deficit followed deficit, and at one point over 10,000 jobs were lost.
Strong budget discipline also means we can deliver on commitments such as no new or increased taxes and have the capacity to deal with any future unexpected circumstances such as floods or bushfires.
In just over four years we have completely turned around the financial mess we inherited from the Labor-Green government, and we will continue to deliver on our promise to provide strong and responsible budget and financial management.