Liberals give up on government to launch … a petition

Tasmania’s councils have already agreed to give up distributions from TasWater and are waiting on State and Federal Liberal Governments to contribute funding to the upgrade of water and sewerage infrastructure.

State Liberal Party Director Sam McQuestin should ditch the stunt and call on his State and Federal representatives to deliver this funding.

There has been woefully inadequate federal investment in water and sewerage infrastructure across Tasmania.

When asked about the possibility of federal funding to fix the problem this morning, Senator Jonathon Duniam could only make a vague commitment to start ‘lobbying’ for federal funding.

The time is up for Senator Jonathon Duniam and his Federal Liberal colleagues to lobby, they need to start delivering.

The Federal Liberals cannot claim one new project funded for water or sewerage in the state.

Federal Labor committed $75 million to water and sewerage upgrades in Launceston in the lead-up to the last election.

In Government, Federal Labor delivered significant funding for water and sewerage infrastructure in Government including the Huon Valley Regional Water Scheme, the South East Tasmania Recycled Water Scheme and the Derwent Park water upgrade.

The programs that delivered this vital water and sewage funding have been savaged by the Abbott/Turnbull Liberal Government.

State Treasurer Peter Gutwein’s election-year bluster should be called out for what it is – a cynical attempt to exploit growing anxiety about the performance of Tasmania’s local governments.

The Treasurer is using this anxiety to pass the buck on fixing our state’s water and sewerage infrastructure.

Tasmanians deserve grown-up governments in Tasmania and in Canberra who take responsibility for our state’s problems and go about fixing them.

The State and Federal Liberal Governments have failed this test again.
ROSS HART MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BASS