Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Liberals;

 

It is a great honour to be standing before you today at our State Council as Leader of the Tasmanian Parliamentary Liberal Party. It is an honour and a privilege that also carries with it great responsibility, especially as we have a considerable challenge in front of us; a tough road ahead to restore our Party, at State level, to where it should be.

And today, I want to take this opportunity in my first address to the Party to set out some key objectives. And I want to outline some key themes. From where we are now, but more importantly where we are heading.  And we are heading forward; I can assure you if that.

 

THE STATE ELECTION

So firstly, the State Election. We’ll consign it to the dustbin from today on. But we have to acknowledge it was a disappointing result for us. Despite a valiant effort, and a tremendous contribution from many people, we received an outcome that was not what we were hoping for. And we have to accept it, and we also have to remind our ourselves of it, so that we will learn from that experience, and we make sure we do things differently next time around.

 

An old teacher of mine says “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten”. So must also be prepared to doing things differently, or we will keep getting the same results.

 

I do not for one moment think we should change who we are, or what we believe in. In fact we should hold firm to that, and, we should stop - more often than just at each State Council – to think about just what our Party stands for. Important and worthy principles that make our Party truly great. But let’s not be afraid to change the way we do things. In fact I believe that is critical, if we are to move forward. And my first message today, is let’s learn from the Election. Let’s leave the disappointment behind, and take the positives with us as we move forward.

  

NO QUICK FIXES

Now, secondly, and very importantly, we need to accept and appreciate that we have a tough road ahead. We have a lot of hard work to do. We have many challenges to confront. And there are no quick fixes. There is no silver bullet. We will not simply change people’s opinions overnight. We need to earn their trust by building a relationship, by establishing credibility, by talking about things they really care about, and by coming up with solutions to their problems. And what is required is really hard work. And it will take time, which we have. It will take time.

 

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

So where to from here? How do we turn this around? How do the Tasmanian Liberals earn the trust of the Tasmanian people, and demonstrate that we are the best to govern our State. Again, there is no simple solution, there is no one answer. But let me point to a few fundamentals. Firstly, we will go hard on the Lennon Government. It is our job. It is what is expected of us. And it is what is necessary for the good governance of our State. We will not oppose for Opposition’s sake, but for the sake of good government. We will be a strong, constructive and positive Opposition. We will pursue Lennon and his crew relentlessly, and we will go hard. Because that is our job, and that is what is necessary for the good governance of our State.

 

POLITICS IS ABOUT PEOPLE / CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY

Secondly, what we must do, as a political party, is remind ourselves of why we are here, and what are we trying to achieve? And we need to strip things back to the basics, and remember that politics is about people. Tasmania is a close community, where people are involved with their elected representatives, and expect access to them. So we have to provide that. And we need to engage more actively with Tasmanians. We do need to be out in local communities as highly visible, positive and effective contributors in the political arena.

 

And in order to make this connection with the Tasmanian community, I will implement a thorough and comprehensive plan, a regimented program that quite simply gets us out of our offices and out into the community. A program that will have us regularly meeting with people, businesses, local councils, community groups, industry associations, all around the State. Where we will meet with people in the regions and rural areas, not focusing on the major centres. It will involve public forums, policy roundtables and community events. And what this will do is enhance our presence in the community; and give us an opportunity to promote our messages; explain our policies; and importantly spell out clearly what we stand for.

 

And as importantly, we will listen. We will listen. We will find out what really is important to people. We will not presume to know what is right for people, and what the answers are. We will listen to people, we will find out, and we will act. It is a basic, fundamental part of what we need to do to move our Party forward.

 

PARTY MEMBERS / TECHNOLOGY

Now, incorporated in this fundamental task of working better in the community, are two other key elements that I want to involve (1) our party membership and supporters; (2) the use of technology.

 

Firstly, it is really important that we involve not just the elected representatives of our Party, but all Liberal members and those who support our Party, in getting the Liberal message out into the community. Our membership, our branches, are the lifeblood of our Party and a key part of an active and effective Liberal presence in the community. We have a diverse and actively involved membership, with well established relationships throughout the community. Let’s use that. There is a great opportunity to use our diverse membership and supporter base in a positive and very constructive way. Not confined to small branch meetings, plonked up the back of a pub, or hidden away in politicians offices. But out and about, active, involved and in the face of our local communities.

 

And we should involve not just Liberal Members, but also those who have an interest in our Party and its success; those who support liberal philosophy, and the objectives of our Party; and those who simply are not happy with the Lennon Government, and who want a vibrant and effective opposition, and an ultimately, a viable alternative government to support. And why is this important? Because it will expand and enhance our connections and our support base in the community; it will make us more relevant, and it will increase activity and no doubt a greater interest in Liberal membership

 

So we will look to our membership to play a major role, and to contribute to relationship building, and to have real input into the policy direction of our Party. And to those many people around the State who are well connected, influential and active people in the community who can make a very meaningful and effective contribution to our cause, even if they are not Party members. We should involve them, and let them help our Party grow.

 

CANDIDATES

I also want to make the point that an invigorated and enhanced presence in the community also provides a better opportunity for our candidates to increase their involvement in the local community, and to promote their credentials well before the next election rolls around. And that is something we should be actively pursuing if we are to expect greater success at the next election. We need to give our candidates the greatest opportunity to engage with the electors. And that should start sooner rather than later, and it should not be prevented because we have not undertaken a formal pre-selection process. If we are fair dinkum about getting our candidates better known, and giving them every possible chance, we need to help them to get out into the community, engaging with the people of Tasmania.

 

TECHNOLOGY

And Ladies and Gentlemen, if we are to be a professional organisation, we need to better use new and emerging technology Not only is technology important for the development and future prosperity of our State, but it is an important part of how we can better connect with the community, and better operate as a political organisation. And I am therefore committed to taking our Party to a higher level in the use of information technology.

 

I will embrace it to encourage discussion, debate, feedback and input through a medium where people can talk directly and candidly with me and our team from anywhere, at any time, and in turn, we can provide a response.  We will establish connections where Tasmanians will be able to participate in;

	online discussion forums through a revitalised website, and provide their views on the issues or put their name to a petition
	provide a forum for on-line discussions;
	and a virtual “town hall” where people can ask questions of our team, and have them answered on the public record, and where
	and through Podcasts we can outline our key policies, key statements and our key messages.

These are some of the ways that we can and will use new technology to better communicate with the Tasmanian people, better understand their concerns, and provide better solutions for them.

 

POLICY / AGENDA / OBJECTIVES

Now the next issue I want to address today, and which is equally central to our progress, is the question of what we stand for, and what we are seeking to achieve. It is a combination of our vision, our aims, and our key objectives. I am convinced that from the Election we do take with us a considerable policy platform. And we will continue to promote those good policies, and advocate for change that will deliver greater benefit for the State. But we must also accept that this policy platform did not take us into government. So we need to refine things. We need to remain relevant, and ahead of the game. And we do need to look at better ways of explaining and promoting our policy agenda, so that when Tasmanians next consider their choices, they think Liberal.

 

‘VISION’

Now when I consider my vision for Tasmania, I think about where we will be when my children have grown up. And where will we be in twenty or thirty years? What legacy are we leaving for future generations? That, for me, is a primary motivation, and central to my commitment to lead our Party. But I also look at where we are now. How Tasmanians are thinking about themselves, and our place in the world. And how the government of the day is dealing with the challenges that currently confront us?

 

We truly are witnessing the disintegration of standards under the Paul Lennon lead Tasmanian Government. Our State was recently described in a national newspaper as ‘rotten to the core’. And accountability, transparency and a respect for democratic process have plummeted, no doubt on the back of another electoral success.

 

But importantly also, what is there on the horizon in terms of direction and objective from this Government? What long-term plan for the State can Labor point to? What is the government doing today, to provide for tomorrow, and for our future generations? There is no doubt this Government is more fixated on electoral fortunes and short-term political expediency, than governing Tasmania well.

 

OUR AIMS AND OUR OBJECTIVES

And what we must be about is setting a new standard. A new benchmark for Tasmania. Because first and foremost, I believe that Tasmania must aspire to stand alone, and to set the highest of benchmarks. We should strive to make Tasmania stand alone. That is a key objective.

And quite simply, we must take care of the basic and fundamental objectives of;

	looking after all the people who live in our state – which is a central and obligatory responsibility of government.
	making Tasmania the best place to do business in
	and protecting our lifestyle

·    making Tasmania the best place to do business in

 

SOCIAL SERVICES

It can not pass without noting that despite the claim from Paul Lennon that “we have never had it better”, the reality is quite different. We must never become complacent, in fact we should continually put every effort into improving our way of life at the most basic level;

 

Yes, be realistic about the challenges, but the government should abandon its acceptance of mediocrity, and its fixation with good news spin, and replace it with an unconditional commitment  to high service delivery in health, education and human services matched with a sufficient degree of accountability to ensure it is achieved.

 

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

And how do we best lay a foundation for this? We provide an environment for growth in business, innovation, and enterprise. Because we, as Liberals, believe that businesses and individuals - not government - are the true creators of wealth and employment. And that the encouragement and facilitation of economic activity and business enterprise facilitates the highest possible standards of living, health, education and social justice. They are key tenets in our liberal beliefs.

 

Yes, it is true, that our businesses which drive our economy, have enjoyed some prosperity in recent years - predominately on the back of a booming national economy, generated by substantive national reform and sound fiscal policy. And it is truly great to see some of that in Tasmania.

 

But what has the Lennon Government, or indeed its predecessor, done to generate this? And what can they point to, to show that they have a reform agenda in place to ensure it is sustained?

 

They have milked an increased confidence and a period of prosperity for some reflective glory, but have done little to make sure it is sustained. A risk of Opposition is to be accused of talking things down, but a risk of Government, equally, is to be always talking things up whilst ignoring the realities. And if, or sadly more likely when, things start to get tougher, what will this Government be able to point to, to say they had done to stop it? Productivity in Tasmania rates the lowest in the country. The skills base of our workforce – at a crippling low. Two clear and critical pre-requisites for future growth, both neglected under the Lennon Labor Government.

 

So a central part of our policy platform moving forward is showing that we will address these issues, and that we are better economic managers. Not just when things are going well, but when things are tough. We can manage the economy better  And we do that by nurturing business growth and development in Tasmanian by creativity, innovation, refining our industry, and transforming our economic base. We seize opportunities, and we turn vision into reality.

 

INNOVATION

By way of illustration, let me ask; where is the Intelligent Island Jim Bacon spruiked seven years ago? Where is the investment in technology and ICT, now symbolised by a dead fibre optic cable and the poorest internet usage in the country? Why aren’t we seeing the emergence of creative clusters in R&D that other states like Queensland and Victoria are capitalising on? It is in this realm that Tasmania can, and should, stand apart from the rest of Australia.

 

Where we can actually lead the way in terms of innovation, research and development - which will in turn increase productivity, employment and economic activity in our State – all of which will underpin good service delivery in health, education and community services. This is a key objective, an matter of priority and part of the vision that I see for Tasmania. Making Tasmania truly an Intelligent Island, and the best place to do business in.

 

WAY OF LIFE

And the third aspect I want to touch on, and which I believe government’s must always keep an eye on, is our way of life.  The precious and inimitable lifestyle that we enjoy, which does not exist anywhere else in the world. We do need to balance development with our underlying concern for the environment, our natural heritage, and our unique way of life. But we can not stand still in a vacuum. We need to continue to develop and grow. And what it shows us is how some increased activity and development in the State will present us with real and complex issues to determine, and conflicting interests to balance.

 

So we need the right checks and balances in place to ensure we have the best systems in place to achieve that delicate balance and secure the best outcomes. Yes, we have very good systems in place now, but the sphere of planning and economic development is very fluid, and we should constantly be looking at ways we can refine and improve our systems to achieve that balance.

 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

And in we need to look after our regions. Our State is comprised of highly defined, and wonderfully characteristic regions and local communities. And whilst we should be very watchful of the counterproductive parochialism that appears from time to time, and which can so often be a real impediment to progress. Equally, we should look at better ways of harnessing the different competitive advantages, and our distinct regions and their particular interests, to better provide for growth and development.

 

Other places, like South Australia, have implemented substantive regional development programs that better equip defined areas to deal with not only development and investment, but also to address infrastructure challenges, the strains on our natural resources, most notably our precious water reserves, and demographic changes like the ageing of our population.

 

And it is important to recognise that despite Lennon’s simplistic mantra that “we have never had it better” in many parts of Tasmania, most notably our outlying regions, people are still doing it very tough. In my electorate of Franklin, one township suffers an unemployment rate that doubles the State average. In parts of the North West, and fittingly as Spirit of Tasmanian III sails her last voyage this weekend, so close to one of Tasmania’s major tourist transport entry points, our tourism operators are experiencing very tough times. And in many communities, like on the gorgeous East Coast and in the north east of the State, people can not even access clean drinking water. It is extraordinary in a State like Tasmania. It’s not ‘better than ever’ for those people. And it shows that the Lennon Government has forgotten our regional communities.

 

We now have local government councils voluntarily banding together to share their resources and look at better regional outcomes. They are clearly showing initiative and resourcefulness that should, I suggest, be taken up by the State Government. So we will look actively at a more defined and strategic way that better capitalises on the strengths of our regions, and our parochial resourcefulness, and which generates better growth and development for the whole state.

 

CONCLUSION

Ladies and gentlemen, I have today outlined a key part of what drives me, and where I see the Tasmanian Liberal team as we move forward.   I have a real commitment to discard complacency, and set Tasmania apart, and become an even better place to live.

 

Where we provide the greatest opportunity, and the highest possible standards of living for all Tasmanians. Where we encourage and nurture initiative and resourcefulness. Where we have a government that is accountable and responsive to all Tasmanians, and which conducts itself with the highest level of honesty, integrity and transparency. And where we set out a long-term strategy for a prosperous Tasmania.

 

I am truly honoured to be here as Leader of the State Liberal Party, and on behalf of my colleagues I want to thank you for the immense support you have shown the State team over the last year.

 

It has been a tough year, in some respects, but the future is bright.  The Tasmanian Liberals are moving forward. We have a tough road ahead, but we are totally committed to achieving our ultimate goal. But we do need your help. And we will get out into the community. We will listen. We will develop new ideas, and we will act.

 

Thank you very much.