Savings will be directed into health and other essential services
Labor has identified more than $100 million in savings
Labor will boost health, education and child protection
Labor has identified more than $100 million in responsible savings in order to fund the priorities contained in our Economic Direction Statement.
Labor’s savings total $109.3 million across the period from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
“Our savings clearly and unashamedly illustrate how we would redirect limited public money to priorities like health, education and child protection,” Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said.
“Instead of paying dividends to Local Councils, Labor will fund new initiatives to combat bed block in our major hospitals and improve the health of all Tasmanians.
“Instead of abolishing suspended sentences and placing increased pressure on Risdon Prison, we will support programs to reduce reoffending and investigate and fund a correctional facility in Northern Tasmania.
“This will also give us the capacity to employ up to 20 new child protection and support workers.
“Labor will abandon the Liberal Government’s ill-advised plan to send children as young as three and a half to school and their nonsensical policy of paying to close childcare centres.
“This will allow us to build more Child and Family Centres, restore pathway planning and invest in other strategies to genuinely engage children and their families in early learning.
“We will abolish the offices of Coordinator General and Infrastructure Tasmania and better integrate their functions in government.
“Labor’s expenditure restraint extends to our own initiatives.
“A saving of $12.5 million from a reduction in spending on Labor’s alternative fuel transport policy will go directly into relieving bed block in our hospitals.
“For as long as our hospitals remain in crisis, health has to be the number one budget priority.”
Scott Bacon MP Shadow Treasurer
