Treasurer Peter Gutwein has been caught lying to justify his broken promise to cut waste.
Yesterday he attributed a $22.7 million blow out in supplies and consumables to an increase in elective surgery activity in our hospitals.
Mr Gutwein said: “As far as I’m concerned, we have got additional throughput in health.”
Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said the latest DHHS progress chart showed elective surgery waiting lists are growing, not shrinking.
“And the state-wide average for activity has marginally decreased.
“Peter Gutwein’s claim that there are substantially more surgeries being performed just isn’t true.
“The reason he missed his budget on supplies and consumables is because he fabricated the savings target in the first place.
“First he said he could save $74 million over four years, then he said he could save $119 million and all he could identify was a few umbrellas.
“Forecasting huge savings based on absolutely nothing really does call Peter Gutwein’s credibility into question.
“It’s time Mr Gutwein started being more honest and stopped treating Tasmanians like fools.
“He must admit that his savings target on supplies and consumables is simply unachievable.”
Scott Bacon MP Shadow Treasurer
