Bartlett’s Labor: Leaking like a sieve

MERCURY

Wednesday:
Second Treasury leak
Third Treasury Leak
He did not know what motivated the leaks. But a Treasury source suggested they were born out of a deep distrust in the Government. In recent months documents recommending a cut in frontline police and a letter from Mr Challen criticising Premier David Bartlett’s plan to turn Tasmania into the food bowl of the nation have also been leaked to the media. “We hate so many lies being told to the Tasmanian people,” the source said. “Decent public servants are losing their jobs to fill the pockets of these fat cats.”
New Treasury Budget leak
Leak tips election sweeteners
Tuesday:
Gadd contract doubt remains
Cuts leak hangs Aird out to dry

Libs, Greens…

Will Hodgman MP
Leader of the State Opposition
Wednesday 27 May, 2009

Treasury leaks

The recent string of leaks shows that the government will deceive Tasmanians and do and say anything to look after their own political self interests.
Enough is enough. The Government has had an opportunity to tell the truth, but has failed.
The Premier has not ruled out not rises to ‘back door’ taxes, like fees and other charges.
The sheer volume of leaks reflects the contempt with which the public service holds the Government.

The recent string of leaks from Treasury confirms that the Government is going to extraordinary lengths to deceive and mislead Tasmanians.

The avalanche of leaks continues – no less than parts of the Appropriation Bill, which is the backbone of the Government’s budget.

Tasmanians deserve to know in these tough economic times if the Government is going to raise taxes and if it is going to make savage cuts to key agencies like police.

Public servants have completely lost confidence in this Labor Government, and Tasmanians may be about to suffer a massive rise in ‘back door’ taxes.

Leaked documents indicate that revenue from fees and charges will nearly double next financial year – up from $78.4 million in 2008-09 to $141.4 million in 2009-10. Fees and charges will continue to rise every year after that.

This appears to confirm the Government may put its hands in Tasmanians’ pockets, many of whom are already suffering because of the recession, and rip money away from them to fund their election campaign.

This would be a shameless and stealthy attack on Tasmanians. Let’s not forget that just yesterday the Premier was reported as saying that he would refuse to make decisions based on cynical re-election motivations. This leak appears to confirm that they were just more empty words from a Premier that would say and do anything to get back into power.

The Treasury source quoted in the media today said that “We hate so many lies being told to the Tasmanian people” and that “decent public servants are losing their jobs to fill the pockets of these fat cats”.

PREMIER ALIENATES PUBLIC SECTOR
Issuing Job-Cut and Pay-Freeze Threats While Rejecting Any Reduction to His Own Entitlements
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
Thursday, 28 May 2009

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today said that Premier David Bartlett has nobody to blame but himself for the increasingly poisonous relationship between his government and Public Sector workers.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said in recent months Mr Bartlett has:

· Issued ultimatum after ultimatum to Public Sector workers;

· Threatened mass Public Sector sackings and pay freezes;

· Spent weeks refusing to rule out overturning Public Sector pay rises that he had already signed off on;

· Voted against reducing his own and other senior Parliamentarian’s allowances by 50%;

· Threatened to amend the State Service Act to make it easier to sack large numbers of Public Servants; and,

· Lied to the public about consulting with unions before deciding to axe an entire government Department.

“Mr Bartlett’s spiralling relationship with Public Sector workers is directly responsible for the multitude of leaks that are now starting to come out,” said Mr McKim.

“The Premier’s approach to his seems to flip-flop from threats, to lies, then back to threats again, and workers have obviously decided to start fighting back.”

Mr McKim also queried how the Premier could issue threats about Public Sector job losses and pay freezes when he was not willing to support a 50% cut to senior Parliamentarian’s allowances, including his own.

“David Bartlett is naïve and foolish if he thinks workers won’t notice that he is threatening their jobs and their rates of pay while rejecting a move to reduce his own Premier’s allowance by 50%,” said Mr McKim.