Inquiry to be held over stadium plan
Election Energy Policy Confusion
There is no magic money tree and Liberals and Labor refuse to come clean with voters
Instead of appeasing its new partners, the government would be better served by a budget office,
Let's hope Premier Jeremy Rockliff has more success in achieving a workable parliament than all the king's horses and men had trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
The major problem with the Liberals' 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, as with all promises made at election time, is our current situation. As the old Irish joke goes, "if I were you, I wouldn't start from here".
Unfortunately, we are where we are. We currently spend $1.07 for every $1 that comes through the door.
Members of the community may wish to understand the nature of the agreement signed between the three newly elected members of the Jacquie Lambie Network (JLN) and the Premier. For those of you who are interested in reading the agreement it can be viewed here:
Confidence and Stability Agreement
I have some serious concerns regarding a number of points in the agreement, and the ability of the members of the JLN to effectively participate in the work of Parliament to ensure the transparency and accountability of the government and Ministers.
The state is facing a huge fiscal problem and it seems that neither of the major parties is prepared to address it, writes Ruth Forrest
One of the classic strategies from Donald Trump's playbook is to accuse your opponent of having the same vulnerabilities as you have. It helps neutralise the issue.
Treasurer Michael Ferguson has accused Labor of believing in "a magic money tree". Not without reason I might add. But the current government is equally vulnerable on that score. We have no idea how the government plans to overcome the fiscal problems it has helped create.
If you’re having trouble understanding the electricity policies of parties as they vie for your vote, you’re not alone. Being Chair of three inquiries looking at various aspect of the electricity industry, from the termination of the Basslink agreements to electricity pricing and broader energy related matters including the Marinus deal, all placed on the backburner when the election was called, has given me some appreciation of the challenges ahead.
But the proposed solutions have left me bemused and bewildered. With no shortage of false facts and dubious claims, trying to understand how we Tasmanians will be better off is difficult.
On the day the House of Assembly was dissolved to precipitate the March 23rd election, over a year ahead of the next election date committed to by the Premier, the Government released a Revised Estimates Report (RER) updating the 2023/24 Budget.
That the Premier has chosen to ask the people of Tasmania over a year earlier than planned, for a vote of confidence in his government, when all indicators in the RER confirm a dire situation for the State, suggests worse is to come.
The assessment of state government debt makes for some uncomfortable reading, writes Ruth Forrest
School is out and the 'kids' our House of Assembly representatives - have been sent home earlier than expected. The classroom was becoming too unruly. No work was getting done.
The end of term report issued on the last day of school reveals the kids were failing to meet required standards and were in danger of joining the growing cohort of children not reaching expected milestones.
The Revised Estimates Report (RER) for 2023-24 was issued the day the House of Assembly was dismissed as a prelude to the March 23 election.