Legislative Council, Thursday 19 March 2026 Ms THOMAS on behalf of Ms FORREST question to LEADER for the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVECOUNCIL, Ms RATTRAY With regard to Wild Drake’s commercial lease for Lake Malbena including most of Halls Island, Minister Duigan committed to a ‘lease review’ prior to renewing Wild Drake’s lease over Halls Island […]
Legislative Council, Tuesday 17 March 2026 Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for EDUCATION, Ms PALMER Acknowledging that the number of parents choosing to educate their children at home has been increasing in recent years, particularly after COVID-19, and that the Office of the Education Registrar asks parents to plan a program that addresses 10 Standards […]
Intergenerational Inequity Isn’t a Mystery – It’s a Design Feature Every few months, another report laments the widening gulf between young and old. Commentators wring their hands about falling home ownership, rising student debt, stagnant wages, and the bleak financial prospects facing younger Australians. Politicians speak gravely about intergenerational fairness. But the sympathy is often […]
Today I spoke in Parliament about some of the wonderful achievements of Hellyer College students in 2025. You can watch my speech here: […]
Ms FORREST question to DEPUTY LEADER for the GOVERNMENT, Mr VINCENT Legislative Council, Tuesday 17 March 2026 QUESTION: With regard to TasPorts operations: (1) (a) How many marine pilotage services have been provided annually over the last 5 years; and (b) How many marine pilots have been employed each year for the last 5 years, […]
Legislative Council, Tuesday 17 March 2026 Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for HOUSING and PLANNING, Mr VINCENT With regard to the operations of Homes Tasmania and the Housing Connect System Reform project: QUESTION: ANSWER: There was no set tender value for the Housing Connect System Reform as the project is made up of multiple parts […]
Read More… from QUESTION ON NOTICE – Homes Tasmania and Housing Connect
The wellbeing of our elected representatives should not be hidden, if they are struggling then decision-making suffers. Politics is demanding work. Not just intellectually, but emotionally, psychologically, and personally. The pressures on elected representatives – at every level – are relentless: public scrutiny, difficult decisions, adversarial debate, and the ever-present weight of responsibility for outcomes […]
Read More… from Mental health in political life vital to democracy
You can listen to my latest interview with Leon, where we discuss the upcoming budget, here: […]
Hydro is operating in a changing environment with new challenges. When Hydro Tasmania’s chief executive recently offered to meet and discuss the issues raised in my two recent Talking Point articles and the 18 chapter Hydro Explainer series on my website, I readily agreed. It was a constructive discussion open, respectful and professional but it […]
Fiscal Fiction and Waiting for a Miracle For years Tasmania has been governed by a budget process that seems designed not to confront reality but to defer it. The latest Revised Estimates Report (RER) for 2025-26, released this week, is the clearest example yet. The Government is not repairing the State’s finances, not recalibrating the […]
When Hydro Tasmania’s Chair quietly warned of a “subdued year ahead” at last year’s GBE scrutiny hearings, most people probably heard it as corporate modesty – the kind of cautious phrasing executives use when they don’t want to spook anyone. But six months into the 2025-26 financial year, the numbers tell a story far more […]
Read More… from Six Months In, Hydro’s “Subdued Year” Looks More Like a Storm Warning
Six months in, Hydro Tasmania’s “subdued year” looks more like a storm warning When Hydro Tasmania’s chair quietly warned of a “subdued year ahead” at last year’s GBE scrutiny hearings, most people probably heard it as corporate modesty the kind of cautious phrasing executives use when they don’t want to spook anyone. But six months […]
Read More… from Hydro’s profit (and ours) will be under water
