Electorate Updates

Published: 03 July 2025

The Premier released his long awaited Fiscal Strategy yesterday.

If credit ratings agencies stumble on a copy we’re bound to be downgraded. It doesn’t comply with the Act.

There are no targets for each of the next four years as required. Only a cut and paste of recycled motherhood statements and objectives plagiarised from Saul Eslake’s Report into State Finances.

Objectives, laudable in that many reflect expert advice of Mr Eslake, however sadly lacking due to any evidence of the means to achieve them.

Published: 01 July 2025

When Kerry Packer told a Parliamentary Committee back in 1991 that he did everything possible to ensure he paid a little tax as possible “….because as a government, I can tell you, you're not spending it that well that we should be donating extra…." it made it even harder for governments to gain acceptance from electors to increase taxes to pay for services everyone wants and many can’t do without.

What self-respecting political strategist couldn’t win an election if an opposition party even hinted at raising more revenue from increased taxes.

Public policy has been hijacked by political strategists more interested in winning elections than promoting sound policies.

Published: 30 June 2025

If I’d known where the election campaign was to lead I would have titled these posts: Dispatches from the War Zone. For that’s what it has become.

If one thing has become glaringly obvious since the election campaign began, it’s how totally unprepared and ill-equipped all participants are for the momentous task ahead to get Tasmania back onto a fiscal sustainable path. From understanding the issues, to acknowledging something needs to be done, to establishing frameworks and protocols to tackle the tasks, and then hopefully to implementing the changes and monitoring progress.

Published: 28 June 2025

It’s official.

The government will have to cobble together a new fiscal strategy by Thursday 3rd July.

There was a fiscal strategy included in the proposed 25/26 Budget but those documents have now been thrown out with the rubbish.

When I was writing Update number 8, I checked the Treasury website to see if the 25/26 Budget was still there because I was curious whether it may mean the government had lodged its mandated fiscal strategy with Treasury.

Published: 28 June 2025

The purpose of this update is to put the recently released Pre-Election Outlook (PEFO) report into context. What is the purpose of PEFO and why did Treasury issue it in the form it did? It is important to remember the PEFO is prepared by Treasury, not the government or the Treasurer.

The current PEFO might be the most passive-aggressive pre-election financial report in State history. Released in June 2025 is not only a warning - it’s a damning indictment of budgetary smoke and mirrors, political spin, and the kind of financial sleight of hand that would make a used car salesman blush.

Published: 26 June 2025

Following the release of Treasury's Pre Election Financial Outlook yesterday it is vital all Tasmanians understand the scale of the budget problem we have and what needs to be done.

The starting point for Treasury’s Pre Election Financial Outlook (PEFO) report was the latest set of Budget figures. In this case it was the 24/25 Revised Estimate Report issued in Feb 2025 which update the 24/25 Budget and the ensuing 3 years of forward estimates out to 2027/28.

When Treasury reviewed the figures they concluded they weren’t suitable as a basis to advise Tasmanians of the States’ fiscal position required as part of the Charter of Budget Responsibility Act 2007.

Why not?

Because the RER contained a dodgy half completed set of forward estimates which you wouldn’t sell to your grandmother. I wrote about the problem here: Obscured spending decisions undermine public trust in the budget figures .

Published: 25 June 2025

The rule of law and the strength of our institutions is what is supposed to help make us a civilised society. Developing a set of guardrails for responsible budgeting was perceived to be a missing link which was addressed by the Charter of Budget Responsibility Bill 2007.

The then Premier, in his second reading speech to the House of assembly on 18th April 2007 explained it as follows:

Published: 24 June 2025

The Board of Marinus Link (MLPL) has recommended proceeding with the Marinus project and each of the three shareholders now need to make a decision before jointly convening to decide.

The decision to proceed wasn’t unexpected. It would have been surprising if they had voted themselves out of a job.

The Tasmanian government owns a 17.7 per cent share alongside the Victorian and Federal governments. But we pay 27.6 per cent of Marinus fees (plus 100 per cent of any associated transmission development in Tasmania).

With the election in progress, caretaker provisions apply to decisions by government. The Liberal government is still the government with full legal powers of a government, but it should refrain from making major decisions which will bind a future government without at least consulting with the opposition. That’s the convention. Not legally binding, just a convention.

Published: 23 June 2025

Now that the major parties are on a unity ticket for the development of the Mac Point stadium there’s no incentive for them to raise peripheral issues, and anyone outside the tent who does so is jumped on by the majors as negative and misguided in what’s best for Tasmania.

It is now recognised that the Federal grant of $240 million is for the Mac Point precinct, not specifically for the stadium itself.

Nevertheless, when the cost of the stadium is bandied about, specifically how much we will have to borrow, the grant is always deducted in full from the stadium cost to derive a figure for net borrowings required, (which some then convert to a multiple of the number of weeks of health spending this equates to, in order to trivialise the sum involved).

Federal grants are sometimes quarantined from GST calculations meaning future GST distributions won’t be affected.

Published: 20 June 2025

So far the election campaign has seen a few high vizzes making fewer mostly forgettable promises, but as yet no attempt to tackle the big issues.

One of the crucial issues going forward is raising more of our own source revenue. Distributions from government businesses is an important component.

Income from government businesses suffered a marked reduction in the latest yet to be passed budget with $154 million or 36 per cent being removed from last year’s forward estimates from future income expected from Hydro Tasmania. That’s a significant loss of revenue for a small state government.

Published: 18 June 2025

As crazy as it may sound the proposed Marinus project has some unfortunate similarities with the stadium project.

The AFL decided the AFL Devils needed a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point in order to field a successful team. The Premier agreed and signed on the dotted line without consulting anyone and before any plans were drawn up, costings done or funds arranged.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) decided a new interconnector might be a good idea for the future of the National Electricity Market (NEM). If Tasmania legislated a renewable action target, Marinus would become an actionable project. Tasmania signed up in 2020 without any idea how much it would cost or who would fund the construction.

Published: 16 June 2025

So far the election campaign has offered a few placards, platitudes and hi-vis appearances but little apparent understanding of the issues facing us.

Hopefully PEFO will contribute to the discussion.

When reading government Budget papers (BPs) it is important to remember that they have not been audited by the Auditor General.

Unlike BPs in Victoria for instance.

Nor are Revised Estimates Reports (RERs) which appear in February each year updating the current year budget and forward estimates.

Published: 15 June 2025

In this update I will revisit some important aspects of the Charter of Budget Responsibility Act 2007 https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/inforce/2025-06-14/act-2007-035 . It’s a pretty simple Act. Whilst it contains some fairly broad motherhood statements (what is sound fiscal management for instance) its intent is quite clear: to provide a framework to explain the fiscal challenges and proposed remedies to all Tasmanians.

I wouldn’t normally cite an Act where legalese can make for difficult reading, but in this instance it’s pretty straightforward.

Published: 13 June 2025

There is a critical need for the general public to have a good understanding of where the State is at financially and what is required by both major parties during an election – even a very early one such as this.

I intend to write some short, focussed pieces around these topics and update regularly in an effort to assist all members of our community to have an enhanced awareness. Please feel free to share any/all of these with your networks.

Published: 24 October 2024

Legislative Council. Monday 21 October 2024

APPROPRIATION BILL (No. 1) 2024 (No. 39)

Capital Services - Capital Investment Program

Ms FORREST - Madam Deputy Chair, the committee ran out of time in Education. We heard Treasury and Infrastructure. At the time, there was so much change and other portfolios for minister Ferguson and then we had Education on the same day and disability or the portfolios to the minister at the table. We ran out of time and I do appreciate the minister agreed to take the capital investment program as an open item to enable further debates so none of the questions was asked during the budget Estimates process on capital investment because of time.

Published: 19 August 2024

I post this to continue the conversation in a respectful manner and urge readers to take a forward looking approach to this very important issue.

I do have real concern about condoning any physical violence (including smacking) of children. We are so much better informed about child development and their capacity to communicate which we as adults need to understand & respect. It is disturbing to have any community leader suggesting use of any form of violence against a child is the only way to raise a child successfully that are ‘stable and well-adjusted’- we as human adults need to do better and respect children and their bodies if we want them to respect us.

Published: 03 November 2023

Legislative Council, Thursday 3 November 2023

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I will make a very brief contribution on adjournment tonight.

I sent in good faith questions to the Government earlier this week regarding traffic management at the Cam River Bridge. I will read the question.

With regards to the works being undertaken at Somerset to replace the Cam River Bridge, noting that the additional traffic congestion and long delays in accessing the bridge at peak times in the morning and afternoon, getting across the bridge, since the Murchison Highway was closed and school has returned -

Published: 28 June 2023

Legislative Council, Tuesday 27 June 2023

The LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT tabled the following response to Petition No. 44 2023 regarding the delivery of physiotherapy services on King Island:

Petition No 44

Published: 28 June 2023

Legislative Council, Tuesday 27 June 2023

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I rise on adjournment this evening to speak about and advocate for the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC) on behalf of its chair, Selina Maguire Colgrave, and to bring to the Council's attention the escalating acts of lateral violence the Circular Head Aboriginal community have faced on a daily basis.

I am going to read from Selina's message to me because it is her voice that needs to be heard in this.

What can be best described as a campaign culminating recently with the controversial and frankly painful-to-watch film entitled My Journey, screened at the recent Dark Mofo festival, the Aboriginal community of Circular Head have been the subjects of a long-sustained campaign by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and its associating members to discredit CHAC as an organisation and its community's claims of Aboriginality.

Published: 28 March 2023

I welcome the announcement of Mr Hutchison declaring his candidacy for the May 6 election for the electorate of Murchison. I wish him all the best and look forward to engaging with him during this election period.

An election is an important part of our democracy and gives the people of Murchison an opportunity to choose who they wish to represent them for the next 6 years.

I have been extremely privileged to serve this electorate, connect with the community and take their concerns and voices to Parliament. I will be contesting this election, seeking the community’s support to continue the work I have been doing to represent this community.

Published: 14 March 2023

Below is my submission to the Office of the Economic Regulator, relating to the current inquiry into Bass Island Line's pricing policies:

As the elected Member of the Legislative Council representing King Island, I have advocated for many years on behalf of King Islanders for more equitable freight costs and pricing and for greater transparency around freight costs and related details. I have heard many accounts of unexplained price increases and inexplicable freight cost differences with other regional areas for similar and like freight. It has been almost impossible to obtain any explanations related to these matters as the “commercial-in-confidence” claim is the standard response. I would expect the Regulator would not be subject to such barriers in undertaking this important review.