“The Montello Primary School community feel “disrespected and unheard” following school funding announced in the state budget. While the government committed a further $2.5 million, taking the overall state funding to $9.6 million, Ms Forrest said it “always was underfunded and inadequate”. You can read the rest of my comments relating to the funding allocation […]
Read More… from The Montello Primary School community feel “disrespected and unheard”
Legislative Council, Wednesday 18 September 2024 Ms O’CONNOR (Hobart)(by leave) – Mr President, I move – That the Validation State Coastal Policy Bill 2024 be referred to Government Administration Committee B for consideration and report. Ms FORREST (Murchison) – Mr President, I have come down here so I can eyeball the minister when necessary. The […]
You can listen to my latest interview with Leon Compton on ABC Mornings here: Ruth Forrest · ABC Mornings 19.09.24 […]
Legislative Council, Thursday 12 September Ms FORREST (Murchison) – Mr President, I rise on adjournment to raise an urgent matter and to make a bit of a complaint and ask the government what response they are going to provide. Members will be aware that the north west of the state, many in the north and […]
Read More… from Adjournment Speech – Road Damage in Northern Tasmania
Legislative Council, Wednesday 18 September 2024 Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT Referring to the Budget for 2024-25, could you provide measures/details of: (1) Tasmania’s Gross State Product; (2) The service cost for current employees of the General Government who are members of the defined benefit superannuation schemes; […]
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 costs eating up more and more of revenue each year. By 2027-28 almost 10c in every dollar of revenue will be devoted to debt servicing. […]
Legislative Council, Tuesday 17 September 2024 The Budget catastrophe Mr President let’s cut to the chase. This Budget is a catastrophe. Where do I start – everywhere I look there is bad news. The Treasurer’s own speech lacked any vigour – rather sought to blame others and tell us all to stop whinging. Mr President, […]
You can listen to my latest interview on ABC Drive here: Ruth Forrest · ABC Drive – TT Line […]
You can listen to my latest interview with Leon Compton about the Public Accounts Committee hearings into TT Line here: Ruth Forrest · ABC Mornings with Leon Compton […]
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 in his recent report, was rather predictably matched by the dismissiveness by major parties of the recommendation to raise more revenue from our own sources. […]
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 finances. On Monday of this week, leading economist Saul Eslake released his long anticipated review into the same subject. First the good news on the […]
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 […]
Read More… from ‘I think the parents are feral not the child’: MLC’s passionate response
