Author: Ruth Forrest

As Tasmanians head to the polls and many voting early, we do so with strikingly little clarity about the future of our energy system. And nowhere is that more alarming than in the case of Marinus Link, a nation-shaping project with state-shaking consequences. As outlined in a June 2025 Tasmanian Community Update: Marinus Board delivers Final […]

Read More… from Election Update No 16: Marinus Decision Time: Tasmania Can’t Afford to Get It Wrong

There’s a slither of hope, a small shaft on sunlight trying to shine on an otherwise bleak election battleground, that when the dusts settles, the survivors – I won’t call them victors at this stage – might help to build on what we’ve learned, to build a better future. It’s only a slither of hope […]

Read More… from Election Update No 15: The pathway to surplus

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 […]

Read More… from Election Update number 14: The Liberal Fiscal Strategy

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 […]

Read More… from Election Update number 13: Revenue: the taboo topic

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 […]

Read More… from Election Update number 12: Labor’s fiscal strategy and beyond 

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 […]

Read More… from Election update number 11: PEFO what it means for the election campaign

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 […]

Read More… from Election update number 10: Pre-Election Budget Warning

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 […]

Read More… from Election Update number 9: Pre Election Financial Outlook (PEFO)

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 […]

Read More… from Election Update number 8: Budget responsibility revisited