WILL HODGMAN, Libs Leader
11 years of Labor: Lost opportunity and broken promises
· Today marks 11 years since Labor was elected to government in Tasmania
· Labor has squandered 11 years of unprecedented economic opportunity and has failed to achieve results in key areas
· Tasmania cannot afford another four years of Labor
It is 11 years today since Labor was elected to government in Tasmania – 11 years of broken promises, opportunities missed and of failing to deliver results.
This government is tired, stale and out of ideas. Tasmania cannot afford another four years of Labor Government in this State.
David Bartlett claims he leads a new government in government but there is nothing new about the rhetoric, the broken promises and the failure to deliver outcomes despite record budget spending.
This government keeps making excuses for its failure to deliver and now it says it needs more time to deliver on promises it made more than a decade ago.
Examples of Labor’s failure to deliver over the past 11 years include:
· In 1998, Labor promised to reduce hospital waiting lists – 11 years on they have increased about 35%;
· In 1998, Labor promised to tackle public housing – 11 years on waiting lists have more than doubled and this week the Human Services Minister admitted defeat;
· In 1998, Labor promised to seek to eradicate child abuse – 11 years on Tasmania has more children on care and protection orders per capita than any other State or Territory, and has experienced a 3,000-fold increase in the number of child abuse notifications;.
· In 1998, Labor committed to making education in government schools one of the highest priorities – 11 years on, Tasmania has some of the poorest educational attainment rankings of any State or Territory, and in many key performance indicators, students have gone backwards in the last two years that David Bartlett has been Minister for Education;
· After 11 years of Labor Government, Tasmania still doesn’t even have a long term infrastructure plan. Infrastructure Australia has highlighted the neglect of public roads and other essential infrastructure.
This week TasCOSS also revealed that little had changed for Tasmania’s most disadvantaged people despite a decade of economic prosperity.
Tasmania can’t afford more of the same lack of action and failure to deliver results. Tasmania is heading in the wrong direction under a Labor Government that has been more focused on short term political problems than the long term interests of our State.
After 11 years, Labor still wants more time – 7 more years to try and improve literacy and numeracy, 5 more years before they start rebuilding Tasmania’s main public hospital and who knows how many more years before we see a long-term State Infrastructure Plan actually written and bringing benefits to Tasmania.
Tasmania needs a government with leadership and vision for the future. A government that will deliver outcomes and make the right decisions for the right reasons – a Hodgman Liberal Government.
Ref…11yearsoflabor.aug29.ewj
