There is no doubt that the Liberal Government’s buy local policy has been a resounding success.
The facts speak for themselves.
Since the election, there has been a 55 percent increase in the number of Government contracts awarded to Tasmanian businesses.
In the eight months since the Liberals’ local benefits test was implemented, 203 contracts have gone to local businesses. By comparison, in the last eight months of the Labor-Green Government only 131 tenders went to Tasmanian businesses.
Since the election, Tasmanian companies have won 4 out of 5 procurements where there was at least one Tasmanian bid.
We have implemented our Local Benefits Test and Buy Local policy in full, we have adhered to it to the letter and it is clearly working. We’ve never said that every single tender would go to a Tasmanian business, but it’s clear that our policy is resulting in more Tasmanian businesses getting more Tasmanian Government contracts.
Labor can try and cherry pick contracts all they like. Labor is simply bitter that a policy it said would never work is paying massive dividends to Tasmanian businesses.
We’ve also recently launched a buy local campaign to encourage Tasmanians to shop locally and support jobs, because we should all be supporting Tasmanian businesses.
Tasmanian businesses know who their friends are, and in case Mr Green can’t guess, I’ll give him the tip: it’s not Labor. Since the election of the Liberal Government business confidence has skyrocketed and is now the highest in the country.
Adam Brooks, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Trade
