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Mr
WILL HODGMAN (Franklin - Leader of the
Opposition) - It gives me great pleasure to respond
to the Premier's state of the State address. I think
a very good starting point is to look at what the
Premier said last time he delivered his state of the
State address. It is also important to look at it in
the context that it was six months before the State
election, while yesterday's address was six months
after the election. It is well worth revisiting what
has transpired in this period and also returning to
some of the things the Premier said last year. It is
worth conducting a simple compare-and-contrast
exercise between the state of the State in 2005 and
in 2006. It is an interesting contrast; it also
highlights just where the Government is taking us
and what it has been unable to do in the last 12
months.
Last
year, of course, the Premier was crowing about the
state of our economy, a growing economy which was
unquestionably in good shape thanks principally to
record receipts from the GST. Economic forecasters
are now warning that the Lennon Government needs to
be careful. This year, despite a clear election
promise to keep the budget in surplus, the
Government is commencing a program of budget
deficits. In fact the Government says that three of
the next four budgets will reveal deficits. This is
quite a change from last year, a broken promise, a
broken election commitment, that this Government
would keep the budget in surplus. The public was
misled at the State election and that is, sadly, a
common theme that I will refer to again during this
speech. That is what has happened; we will see a
budget in deficit for the next three years. It is a
striking contrast from where we were last year,
running up to an election, when the Premier boasted,
'We got down to the business of financial basics and
we took the State from the red to the black'. Well,
Premier, you are taking the budget straight back
into the red with three deficits forecast for the
next three years.
What
else stands out when you look at what the Premier
said last year as against what he said yesterday?
The competition index is an important indicator of
our economy's position. As the Premier says, it is
an insight into how well Tasmania is tracking and
how good a place it is for business to invest in.
The Premier said this last year:
'In our
latest competition index, Tasmanian business
conditions were ranked best of all the States and
Territories in 17 out of the 34 areas of
measurement.'
Last
week the Treasurer launched the new competition
index, stating that Tasmania ranked most favourably
in 11 of the 33 indices. Over the last year,
according to this index which the Government says
provides an objective assessment of the advantages
and disadvantages of doing business in this State,
Tasmania has dropped in ranking in six of the 33
areas of measurement, despite the Premier's repeated
boast that things have never been better. The
competition index shows that Tasmania is going
backwards.
Since
last year's speech, economic commentators and
business surveys have also identified a dampening in
business confidence because business operators are
experiencing a slowing in trade. No wonder the
Premier has stopped saying that we have the fastest
growing economy in the country. He has watered
things down this year by stating we are one of the
best economies in the nation.
Here is
another statement worth reminding ourselves about
from the Premier's speech last year:
'We are
playing our part in supporting tourism investment
through our commitment to our three Spirit of
Tasmania ships'.
Mrs
Napier - Three!
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - What mention was there of the Spirits in
yesterday's speech? Not one mention of any of them.
Mr
Bartlett - He should have mentioned there are double
sailings per day at the moment.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - I would not pump them up. The last bloke
who pumped up the Spirits sits in a different seat
now. I would be very careful about going out to pump
up the Spirits because the last bloke looks very
shabby now as a result.
It was
another classic case of misleading the Tasmania
public at the 2006 election, using the three ships
as election bait while knowing that Spirit III was
sinking - using it for electoral advantage. Last
year the Premier boasted in his speech, 'We have
underlined that commitment through our decision to
retain the Sydney service'. Well, in 2006 that
commitment has gone, and the voting public was
grossly misled. The Lennon Government used the ships
to convey a message of full steam ahead with bold
statements about increased sailings, banner
advertisements in newspapers providing a delightful
backdrop used for self- promotion, while knowing
full well that just a few months later, after all
the political advantage was exploited, Spirit III
would be canned. It is little surprise that they did
not rate a mention in yesterday's speech.
Now,
what else? The Royal Hobart Hospital. What a welcome
but spectacular change in direction. Off we go on
the good ship Lennon! We will just veer off when it
suits us. After the election there was a welcome but
spectacular change in direction.
Mr
Bartlett - Welcome aboard.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - Welcome aboard, exactly. Last year the
Premier only talked about redeveloping existing
buildings at the Royal Hobart Hospital. That was his
vision. That was his commitment for fixing the Royal
Hobart Hospital. He was looking at redeveloping the
existing buildings. This year he wants to build a
whole new hospital. In the space of one year he has
changed his strategic direction. This is a bloke who
prides himself on strong, firm and clear leadership.
He has conducted one of the most spectacular
backflips, again as a result of political advantage,
in one fell swoop. We have asked numerous questions
over a number of years about this issue. We have
given the former health minister plenty of
opportunity to tell us what the Government is doing
with the Royal Hobart Hospital, whether or not there
are reports being done, what they say and whether
they will be released publicly. We received
conflicting answers. We received confused messages
until the election. Then, what did we hear? The
former health minister continued his confused and
garbled messages about the Royal Hobart Hospital,
leaving no-one in doubt that he was out of touch
with what was going on down there and, as we now
know, not to be in the job for much longer.
More
interestingly, there are the statements from the
then economic development minister and now,
ironically, the health minister. Hasn't she changed
her tune? What a complete contrast! I will never
forget seeing her on television, saying, 'If a new
Royal Hobart Hospital were built, this would have
significant impact on the Hobart CBD and would
affect businesses.' An interesting statement also in
light of another development that is on the horizon
and what impact that might have on the Hobart CBD.
We have not heard a peep out of her on that one.
That is another matter.
Fast
forward to the election proper and then, at a time
of his choosing when he wants to inflict some
political damage, the Premier comes out with part of
an old document and says, 'Can't be done, can't
build it. It is impossible, not feasible. Can't be
done. The Liberals have made fools of themselves.
The Greens have made fools of themselves. Can't be
done.' So said firm, decisive, Premier Lennon, or is
he out of touch? Is he so off the mark with reality
that within the space of six months, what due
diligence did he conduct? How did he assure himself,
when he came out and made this big statement in the
middle of an election campaign, that it was
impossible and that it just could not be done?
We are
now finding out, with reports being prepared which
his Government was aware of - we know that to be a
fact - that it was flagged months and months before
the State election that it was not feasible to keep
the Royal Hobart Hospital in its current form and
the Premier, reminiscent of the TCC scandal, says,
'I know nothing.' He has been exposed again as being
hands-off, out of touch and a negligent leader. It
was another cynical political plaything, produced
during the middle of an election campaign for
political point-scoring. It is disgraceful that this
proposal has been shelved for so long, that this
report and all the reports before it have been
delayed from publication to suit your political
needs, while our health system crumbles and the
Royal Hobart Hospital and the people who work in it
continue to suffer. Acute health care in this State
is the worse for it. It is a disgrace. Again the
public have been misled. Again there is a striking
contrast between this year's state of the State
address and last year's version.
Whilst
you are here, Minister for Education, have we not
seen a dramatic transformation in your patch since
you came to office? Essential Learnings, the
lynchpin of the education program - gone! The
incoming Minister for Education has dismantled all
the work of the former minister very quickly. He
dismantled this cornerstone, making her look like a
goose all along the way, the minute he took over the
job.
Members
interjecting.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER - Order.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - A lot has happened to the Deputy Premier,
Mr Green, in the last 12 months, has it not? I do
not think we need to go back through that sordid
issue, which is still before us with three
investigations. Haven't things changed for him, the
man who was ultimately the Premier's right-hand man?
He now sits with an empty seat behind him after
extraordinary revelations of ministerial
incompetence and yet another - dare I say it, Rene?
- special deal for a special mate. What else?
Exposure of Hydro Tasmania's finances, a massive
blow-out at Elwick, the list goes on. A lot has
changed; not, of course, to the Government's
wanting. But it highlights just how incapable this
Government can be in delivering on its great
commitments and its big announcements, because often
they unravel, they disappear, they are abandoned or,
in the case of the Royal, they become the subject of
one half decent but certainly welcome backflip. So
this is a dramatic shift in what was outlined last
year and the reality of it now is strikingly clear.
The contrast between what the Premier said last year
and what he said in the state of the State address
yesterday is quite evident for all to see.
These
inconsistencies highlight an incoherent and wavering
government, not a strong one. These discrepancies
and shifts in direction point to a government that
cannot deliver on its commitments and promises and,
sadly, a government that puts politics and
propaganda first. They are ordinary managers in very
good times, but incompetent when things get tough.
They are cynical manipulators when operating in an
election environment and grossly contemptuous of
transparency and accountability, until now it would
seem. What did the Premier say yesterday? What a
delightful irony it was to hear him say that this
Government would now acknowledge that the community
has a right to expect the highest levels of
accountability, transparency and responsibility in
governance from their elected representatives.
Why has
it taken you eight years to wake up to that? Why has
it taken eight years for this Government to
appreciate that the Tasmanian community has a right
to expect the highest levels of accountability,
transparency and responsibility in government from
their elected representatives? I suspect it is
because the Labor sycophants have got so sick of the
sort of thing that you are doing that they have
said, 'Enough is enough, Paul'.
We know
accountability and transparency do not rate too high
on your radar, Paul, but for the good of the State,
for the good of your colleagues, you had better
start taking it seriously. I reckon quite sincerely
it would be the first time that I can recall the
Premier getting up in this House since I have been a
member and imploring the members of his Government
to start showing the highest level of
accountability, transparency and responsibility in
governance.
After
all that has unfolded in the last year it would be
laughable if it were not so serious. This Government
has by any measure failed to deliver even a basic
level of accountability, transparency and
responsibility in governance. The continued
misleading of the public before and after the
election, the excruciating unravelling of
revelations and cover-ups as a result of the Bryan
Green-TCC scandal and the Premier's own complicity
in that sordid affair is perfectly illustrative of
the Lennon Government's total disregard for
accountability, transparency and good governance. If
there is any improvement that will be a positive
thing but it is very instructive that the Lennon
Government has apparently only now recognised the
importance of accountability, transparency and
responsibility in good governance. I cannot believe
that it has taken so long to even rate a mention.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Tasmanians have
been let down by this Government and the standards
which it sets have sunk to new lows. That is simply
not good enough for this State.
Madam
Deputy Speaker, the Premier will try to perpetuate
the myth that we have never had it better and he
says that repeatedly. If his Government is serious
about the state of the State and about its
responsibilities, it should replace its
self-satisfied attitude with an unconditional
commitment and a capacity to achieve what it talks
about and that, most fundamentally, is ensuring that
the people of Tasmania are looked after and that
they are provided with services that are the best in
the nation.
Looking
beyond the rhetoric of the Premier's speech, it is a
reality that in many areas we do still lag behind
the rest of the country - in various aspects of
health services, in some of our education standards,
in providing housing for needy Tasmanians and
providing also for our ailing infrastructure, which
we all know received a very poor report card
recently. In many areas in the basic and fundamental
service delivery, this Government is failing. For
many people who live in this State, things are not
better than ever.
I
appreciate, and I can see it coming already, that we
will be accused of talking things down. I think this
Government has a tendency to look through rose-
coloured glasses and always be talking things up,
even if there is no resemblance to reality.
Governments can fall into the temptation of becoming
complacent, which is extremely dangerous or
arrogant, and believe in their own hype and
ultimately start to believe their own rhetoric. I
think it is probably too late for you lot but we and
the Tasmania public obviously have to rely on you in
the next term, for which you have a mandate from
your success at the State election, to actually
deliver and match your rhetoric with reality. Start
reducing waiting lists, start getting people into
public housing, start fixing up our ailing
infrastructure, stop pointing to the Federal
Government at every opportunity, stop finding
excuses and reasons why you cannot do something and
get on and do it. The Tasmanian public and we in
this House will continue to crosscheck you against
other key performance indicators in fundamental
areas of service delivery such as health, housing,
education where undoubtedly and unquestionably we do
fall below national levels. It is not acceptable for
Tasmanians where they do not have it better than
ever.
In
relation to business and the economy, it is not me
who is talking the place down. It is commentators
and experts saying that this Government needs to be
careful; it is Tasmanian businesses that complete
surveys saying they are starting to lose confidence
in our economy. It is clear from independent and
objective assessment that there are real issues for
the economy in the years ahead. The Government must
acknowledge and accept this. These things require
attention and positive improvement if we are to
achieve future prosperity for the long term. I
consider it a priority for the Government to plan
now and to implement structural change that will
assist in maintaining economic momentum into the
long term.
I will
briefly return to the competition index because, as
the Government says, this is an independent
assessment and a benchmark for the State. That shows
there are some serious economic challenges that lie
ahead for the State which the Lennon Government must
address in order to sustain our economic momentum.
It is true that whilst this Government might go all
right when the economy is in good shape, it is yet
to prove its credentials when things are weakening.
The competition index released last week by the
Treasurer is instructive in providing an overview of
our economic state of the State.
As I
mentioned in opening, it shows that we have declined
against a number of benchmarks in a number of
criteria where Tasmania now ranks most favourably in
just 11 of the 33 indices, where last year we ranked
best of all the States and Territories in 17 out of
the 34. This is a clear and obvious drop in our
performance. This index, which provides an
independent assessment, can therefore be seen not
only as indicative of where our State is placed now
but also as identifying those challenges that the
Government needs to attend to, to ensure we maintain
some momentum. So there are clear warning bells. I
think the best thing the Treasurer could do, rather
than denying them each and every time and trying to
turn what are clear negatives into positives just to
try to perpetuate this rose-coloured-glasses myth -
Mr
Bartlett - Speaking of transparency, who do you
think released the competition index? It was the
Tasmanian Government.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - Yes, so rather than try to spin it around
-
Mr
Bartlett - How could it be that we are trying to
hide it?
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - I am not saying you are trying to hide it.
Mr
Bartlett - Yes, you are. You are basically trying to
say that we are not being honest about the
situation. What do you think the competition index
is? It is an honest document.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - I know you have been sitting there reading
so you are not properly listening to what I said. I
have never said you tried to hide it. I said you are
trying to hide the reality of what it says.
Mr
Bartlett - No, we're not. It's in there in black and
white.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - Well, the spin that you applied to it -
and your Treasurer did it well - was to turn it all
into a positive, good-news spin story. Rather than
say, 'I acknowledge there is a skills shortage in
Tasmania', what did he do? He said, 'There's no
skills shortage in the State'. What sort of attitude
is that from a bloke who is supposed to be leading
the economy?
Ms Putt
- The Treasurer said that last week.
Ms
Giddings - Haven't you been listening? One of the
biggest issues on my agenda as Economic Development
minister was skill shortage.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - So why did the Treasurer say there is no
skill shortage? Why did your colleague say that?
Ms
Giddings - Oh, come on! We have acknowledged skill
shortages in this State, why do you think -
Mr
Bartlett - Didn't you read the state of the State
speech? It tells you all about the skill shortage.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - That is my point. Where is the Treasurer?
Do you not talk to your colleagues? Do you not say,
'Michael, you're right, skills are a problem, it's
been a key plank of my former ministry. It would be
better for us if you didn't deny the reality,
because it makes us look stupid'. The Treasurer went
out last week and said there is no skill shortage,
then yesterday the Premier was saying, 'We are going
to create this new skills authority and we're going
to fix the skills crisis'. So, you should get your
stories right before you make your public
statements, because you look stupid. It is not the
response of a responsible and responsive government.
The
competition index which was belatedly released this
year - and I do not claim for one minute you are
keeping it secret - verifies that in the areas of
business confidence, qualifications and training -
your area - energy and transport costs, Tasmania
ranks lowly compared with other States and
Territories. Rather than the Treasurer trying to put
a positive spin on this, I think Tasmanians would
like to know what he is going to do to fix those
issues, and actually make Tasmania the best place in
the world to live, or as good as the Premier thinks
it is, and get on with fixing.
Ms
Giddings - Oh, so it's not good?
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - No, I am not suggesting that - it is a
fantastic place to live. But according to the
Premier, it has never been better. Well, it is not
for anyone who works in private -
Members
interjecting.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - All those business confidence ratings that
are on the slide, qualifications and training -
never been -
Ms
Giddings - In the north-west coast they're very
positive, I am sure Jeremy and Brett would know
that. Very positive, no talking down the State up
there.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - We should all go home then; it is perfect.
We should all go home via the Royal Hobart Hospital,
which still remains in a state of disrepair, so you
can talk to the people down there, as you do via the
television with the soft focus -
Ms
Giddings - Oh, no I don't, Mr Hodgman. I tell you
I've talked to those nurses and they're not happy
with your lot.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - Oh, things have never been better.
This is a great problem to have, this long waiting
list, and that is when our phones start ringing,
with people saying, 'Has she removed herself so much
from reality?'. This is the woman who is supposed to
be fixing our health system and she reckons it is a
good problem to have - long waiting lists.
Ms
Giddings - Have you seen your Mr Abbott's comments?
Go and talk to your own Health minister in the
Federal Government about waiting lists.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - You are in charge of the State health
system, Minister, but you try to blame Tony Abbott
again. This is exactly the sort of thing that
highlights your lack of leadership, your willingness
to buck-pass, your incapacity to deal with your own
challenges and your failure to get results. You can
throw rocks at former government ministers on this
side -
Ms
Giddings - They're unavoidable, Mr Abbott says.
Unavoidable - a direct quote. 'Abbott warns no
relief in health costs' - Mr Abbott himself.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - Unavoidable key benchmarks show that
waiting lists under you lot have gone through the
roof. No matter what you say, it has got worse under
you, not better.
Ms
Giddings - No credibility, Mr Hodgman.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - Promoters of the competition index - read
it, fix up the problems and do not try to turn with
some selectivity the bad news into a good- news
story, because it is not doing the best thing by the
State.
Tasmania Together is of course going through a
period of review, and I acknowledge that, but it is
important also at this point to very briefly look at
this performance measure which the Premier mentioned
in his state of the State address yesterday. It is
worth looking at this framework because the 2006
Tasmania Together progress report shows that, seven
years after the inception of the concept, of the 97
assessed benchmarks, 51 failed to meet the targets,
including - the same message as the other reports, I
hasten to add - reduced business confidence, drops
in exports, long-term unemployment, youth
unemployment, domestic violence, child abuse and
neglect, retention rates, literacy and numeracy,
dental waiting lists - and these are the ones the
Health minister should be noting down - and
quarantine services. These are critical issues that
permeate through all levels of our community, and it
is a startling fact.
When
people participate in the Tasmania Together process,
a lot of work goes into preparing a document and
preparing reports which presumably the Government is
going to use to plot its own progress and start
implementing some reforms that have effect, but it
says a lot about the Government's failure to meet
those very benchmarks, and your failure to meet
community expectations. Tasmania Together is another
very important tool for defining our performance and
aspirations in things that really matter to
Tasmanians and how we preserve, protect and promote
our precious lifestyle. So the Government's own
ability to meet these aspirations is in question,
something that the Lennon Government should be
cognisant of and willing to address.
I would
like to turn to some other key aspects of the
Premier's state of the State address. Yes, we agree
with the Premier's comments that economic strength
allows a government to build infrastructure, address
social issues, plan for the future and create
opportunity and so on, but we, along with key
stakeholder groups and people in the community, do
not agree that the Government has been using its
economic strength to deliver in these areas. You
have not delivered on infrastructure to create
opportunities for Tasmanians and to achieve higher
levels of social outcomes. We think that a lot more
can be done, and again the Government should not be
blinded by its own rhetoric.
There
are significant economic challenges that lie ahead
and it remains to be seen whether this Government
has a proactive long-term strategy rather than an ad
hoc one. I suspect the Premier is now going to say
he has a long-term plan for the Royal Hobart
Hospital, out of necessity. He did not have one six
months ago. We would like to see a more coordinated,
strategic and holistic plan for the long term that
takes us beyond the 2010 State election.
We
welcome and it is necessary to acknowledge the
positive aspects of the Premier's address, many of
which adopt a number of Liberal policies, and the
record will reflect that. Anyone who wants to can go
back to see the policies we took to the State
election, and prior to the election as well. Many
are now being adopted by the State Labor Government.
It says that eventually you are listening to
commonsense, not just from what we say but also from
what stakeholder groups and the community say.
There
are great opportunities in China and it is fantastic
to see Roaring Forties, for example, expanding their
operations into that part of the world. Promoting
the State and exploring economic and cultural
opportunities overseas is, I believe, critical to
our growth and development. It is something that I
certainly endorse and any positive outcomes from the
Premier's visits, and any reciprocal interest, is to
be encouraged and pursued vigorously.
I have
touched on the sudden change in direction by the
Premier and the current and former Ministers for
Health and Human Services. They are suddenly
pursuing a new Royal Hobart Hospital; that is an
important and worthy pursuit but something that
really should have been adopted a long time ago. All
these reports, all the good work that could have
been done by now, the consultation, the feasibility
study and exploring whatever funding options may
exist, could have been done a long time ago, rather
than used as a political tool during an election
campaign just to deliver some electoral advantage.
The
Premier is, sadly, on record saying over and over
again that this cannot happen - for a number of
reasons, not just the former agreement to which he
refers a lot. He claims doctors told him that they
could not or should not move the hospital because it
would be a bad thing. He was told clearly not to
move the Royal and presumably used that as a reason
for saying that it should not happen. He produced
part of an agreement during the election campaign,
clearly more designed to inflict political damage on
his opponents than to advance the debate which he
now apparently is very keen we all engage in. Well,
he is the last person to talk about that because we
spent months in this Chamber asking perfectly
legitimate questions about the future of the Royal
Hobart Hospital, about the possible use of land in
the precinct, all of which was met with an appalling
display by the former Health minister. Unwillingness
to engage in that debate was replicated by his
Leader, so now it is a little rich for the Premier
to be saying we should be forward looking and engage
in meaningful debate. He and his Government have
done anything but that over the last year or two.
This has meant that the process is well behind
schedule. Our health system continues to suffer; the
Tasmanians who work in the hospital and those who
need to be treated there are the losers. However,
the Government has now come to the right decision
and we welcome the fact that it has abandoned this
entrenched position and will at least contemplate
the notion of a new hospital in Hobart.
Concerning the Government's commitment to consulting
widely, I know that is not an attribute you are
especially adept at. However, we believe it is
something that should be done. Now that the Premier
is saying the new hospital will be pursued actively,
your relationships with doctors need perhaps to be
restored to some degree. You have lost a lot of
faith that the doctors, nurses and medical
practitioners who work at the hospital had in your
Government's commitment. I am sure now they will
appreciate there is a lot more to talk about. Again,
that is a little bit late. A lot more could have
been done in recent months, rather than engaging in
prevarication and political point-scoring.
I would
also urge the Premier to look very closely at better
relations between the public and private sectors,
and at the Richardson Report's recommendations and
so on. I am sure that both he and the Treasurer will
do so. One would hope so; there are clear advantages
or options that may be pursued by going down that
track.
I have
also referred to the long overdue recognition of
transparency and accountability. The Government must
also match this rhetoric with reality and an
absolute commitment. Given the way the Premier and
other ministers conducted themselves in the House
this morning in question time, not even 24 hours
after the delivery of the state of the State
address, if that is anything to go by, I do not
think you are as committed to increasing and
improving the levels of transparency and
accountability that your Premier signed you all up
to yesterday. We will be holding you to account on
that. It is all very well, for example, for the
Premier to talk about improved transparency and
accountability and removing confidentiality clauses
from contracts and so on. However, in the same
breath, he is spending $15 million of taxpayers'
money on an AFL team, without so much as a business
case or being able to point to a due-diligence
process, and apparently without even knowing, at the
time he signed the deal, where the funding would
come from. He is now refusing to say how much is
being spent on what because of
commercial-in-confidence issues. The Premier talks
the talk but he cannot walk the walk, or he will
not. We see no noticeable difference in just a few
short hours since the Premier delivered his speech
yesterday. He said, and I repeat, 'The community has
every right to expect the highest levels of
accountability, transparency and responsibility in
government'. I am glad he finally appreciates that
but I am more hopeful that he will deliver.
The
Premier has identified some areas of infrastructure
that will apparently be addressed by his Government.
It is interesting to see we are talking a lot again
about fibre optic and so on. That had all fallen
into a black hole over the last few years. We would
like to see some of those relationships delivering
results, providing the service and infrastructure
needs that Tasmanians have suffered from not having
for some time.
Five
years ago the Government announced a special
infrastructure fund for roads and bridges, and water
and sewerage developments in a water development
plan . It is going back in time to hear it
reannounced yesterday. I assume it is just a renewed
commitment to deliver on those things that were
announced five years ago. What does it say about
what you have been doing for the last five years in
attending to roads, bridges, water, sewerage
developments and a water development plan? You have
not delivered. This is a revisiting of what you
committed to five years ago; the Premier has
rebadged and done it up again as part of his 2006
address.
Engineers Australia have said that we have some of
the lowest rating infrastructure in the country. We
have one of the poorest water quality levels among
regional areas in the country. The state of
Tasmania's sewerage systems is very serious, of
course; we saw extraordinary reports in the last
week about this situation in one small village.
Aside from the Meander dam, the State's water
development plan has stalled. We welcome the plan
for water, sewerage and infrastructure upgrades;
they are very important. The fact that the Premier
is reannouncing them now says a lot about what you
have been doing over the last five years and
particularly your commitment to deliver into
regional areas which have suffered under Lennon
Labor. I think of the people of Bracknell, for
example, who have raw sewage flowing through their
streets. They will not appreciate a ministerial task
force being a talkfest. They will want to see some
pretty prompt action and some results because your
Government's track record in this area is less than
impressive. I would also strongly submit that any
infrastructure planning must involve all tiers of
government and also the private sector and must look
beyond a four-year electoral cycle.
As for
the skills authority, again it is hard to be
critical of something which we hope will deal with a
real problem that has existed for some time. We go
back to when Jim Bacon came into government and made
it a Labor priority to sort out. Here we are, a
number of years on, and the Government is announcing
another authority, a new body, which is going to
deal with this problem which is without doubt
crippling business development, business growth and
the creation of job opportunities and the upskilling
of young Tasmanians with every passing day.
The
TCCI surveys from its members consistently records
this as a -
Mr Kons
- Less than 2 per cent of businesses.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - So you do not rate what those businesses
have to say?
Mr Kons
- Less than 2 per cent.
Mr WILL
HODGMAN - That is sad. I think any percentage of
Tasmanian businesses should be listened to and be
involved in the consultation process. Your initial
reaction is to exclude certain groups because they
do not comprise a high enough percentage and that is
sad and I am sure will be a disappointment to the
TCCI organisation and its membership.
In
concluding, like all members of this House, I have a
real drive and a passion for the future of this
State. I have three young children. We all share a
commitment in this place to see Tasmania become a
truly better place to live, not only for now but
also for future generations. My own children and the
future generations that they represent figure in how
I go about my job and what I want to achieve in this
place. That is my motivation.
We need
to look at the here and now and at what the
Government has or has not achieved, but we also need
to look very carefully at how we address the
challenges that confront us, and subscribe to
maintaining and observing the highest standards of
governance. It has been a failing of this Government
for too long and our State was recently described in
the national newspaper as rotten to the core. That
is an absolute disgrace. Accountability,
transparency and a respect for democratic processes
have plummeted and must be restored. I get the sense
in the community that people's faith in our
democratic processes has been damaged as a result of
a lot of the things your Government has been doing
over the last few years. Also we need to start
seeing a lot more of a long-term strategic plan.
There
is no reason why Tasmania cannot be a stand-alone
State in this country and set and achieve the
highest of benchmarks; not just talk about them but
also achieve them. That is delivering what are
fundamental services in health and education, in
providing appropriate infrastructure, protecting our
lifestyle and providing the sort of business and
economic base that drives Tasmania forward.
[12.14 p.m.]
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