Opinion
Ruth’s opinion pieces and editorials on political, economic, and social issues facing Tasmania.
Obscured spending decisions undermine public trust in the budget figures
There is a critical need for budget honesty and transparency, writes Ruth Forrest In any democracy, clear, honest budgeting is the foundation of public trust. The Tasmanian government’s 2025-26 Budget,…
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Tasmanians Deserve the Truth
What we’ve witnessed in the Tasmanian Parliament this week is deeply disappointing — not only in tone and conduct, but in its complete failure to address the very real, urgent…
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Tasmania’s Budget of Delusion
With recent events and the budget delivered by the Liberal Government unlikely to be fully scrutinised there is a need to be aware of the reality of our fiscal position…
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Tasmania’s Budget Crisis: A Call for Urgent Action
The 2025-26 Tasmanian State Budget, which may never proceed following a successful no-confidence motion in the Premier is a stark reminder of the fiscal crisis we are facing. Despite years…
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An urgent need for truth
Admitting there’s a problem is the first stage in any recovery. The Premier hasn’t done that yet. He still says our debt is manageable. His State of the State speech…
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Delusional and deceptive update on State’s financial position
Just when you think things can’t get worse, they do. Treasurer Barnett released the 2024-25 Revised Estimates Report setting out the State government current position. The release was accompanied by…
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Sleepwalking to disaster
Few have taken any issue with the prognosis laid out by Saul Eslake in his landmark report into the State’s finances. Even fewer have modified their policy positions to reflect…
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Governance issues erode public trust
Stony Rise development saga is emblematic of broader problems, writes Ruth Forrest The saga surrounding the proposed Stony Rise shopping centre development at Devonport is emblematic of broader governance failures…
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Does the state’s ‘good bloke’ Jeremy Rockliff have what it takes to repair failing governance standards
Failures of governance are almost always intertwined with poor culture and both tend to have deep roots. Tasmania’s Premier Jeremy Rockliff is, and has been often referred to as, ‘a…
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We need to face what the budget figures have been trying to tell us for years, and it’s not good news
Time to be honest about the challenges and work together, before it’s too late. The 2024-25 Tasmanian state budget is a catastrophe. There is no plan to stop debt servicing…
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The gravity of our state’s challenges means we need to start thinking very differently
Political parties continue their misinformation campaigns rather than honestly discussing our financial problems, writes Ruth Forrest The gravity of the state’s perilous fiscal position, as forensically detailed by Saul Eslake…
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Servicing our past sins is costing more, which takes away much-needed funding from current services
Denial of budget reality is no longer an option for Tasmania. The government last week released the Preliminary Outcome Report for the 2023-24 year, revealing the latest on the state’s…
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Newest Posts
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