Letter to PM seeking assurance for Tasmanian election commitments

The Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader (Tasmania) Senator Helen Polley has written to the Prime Minister urging him to provide assurance to Tasmanians that he will honour all election commitments made to Tasmania during the federal election.

The letter from Senator Polley stressed that the commitments be delivered in full and be outlined in the May 2017 Federal Budget, as they are pivotal to the Tasmanian community’s future prosperity.

Tasmania’s economic future is dependent on investing in our people, our educational institutions and the private sector to grow our economy and ensure everyone in our community is provided with opportunities to better their social and economic outcomes.

The opportunities in agriculture and tourism remain Tasmania’s strongest areas for growth.

Access to health and education is also crucial to Tasmania’s future prosperity. Tasmania will only be able to compete in the future with a well-educated population. A cultural shift emphasising the importance of education is needed in Tasmania if we are to compete in the information age, which is why the commitment made to the University of Tasmania is fundamental to this change occurring.

Labor was first to commit to the University of Tasmania plan for Inveresk and the Burnie campuses and we look forward to working with the state and federal Government to deliver this important investment.

It is estimated that the expansion of the University of Tasmania precincts will generate $1 billion in economic activity over the next decade, which is why it is so important that the funding promised to University of Tasmania is delivered in a timely manner.

As expected, I will be working diligently with my parliamentary colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives to ensure that the commitments made to Tasmania are delivered to our community as promised.
SENATOR HELEN POLLEY SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE LEADER (TASMANIA) SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR AGEING SENATOR FOR TASMANIA