Media release – Sue Hickey, 18 February 2024

Hickey’s focus – health, housing, cost of living, education, and transparency in government

Former Member for Clark and Speaker of the House of Assembly Sue Hickey has announced she’s standing in Clark as an independent for the March 23 election.

Ms Hickey said she had been approached by many people and had decided over the past month to stand for parliament to focus on the major issues impacting Tasmanians. These are health, housing, education, and cost of living stresses particularly electricity prices. Ms Hickey said a lack transparency and accountability in government, particularly during the last term of the Liberal Government, was also an issue she would fight to improve.

“Tasmanians have been desperately wanting the Government to focus on these very real issues but instead it’s been overwhelmed and distracted by internal division and defections. And so what does the Government do? It calls a costly and unnecessary election instead of dealing with its immediate responsibilities and fixing the problems. This is just another distraction, and one Tasmanians just don’t need.”

Ms Hickey said she wanted to be part of a parliament that worked for Tasmania now and left a legacy of positive outcomes for the future.

“Despite the poor performance of successive governments, we are so fortunate to live in the safest place on the planet and to be surrounded by magnificent natural resources. We need to play to our strengths and focus on fixing the problems.

Ms Hickey said the fact that Tasmania also had almost 50 per cent functional illiteracy and numeracy skills was very concerning.

“This is completely unacceptable and does not prepare a workforce for our future needs.

“Conversely, we could be a brain hub of innovation, an island of entrepreneurs and a knowledge economy.

“We need our young people to want to build their dreams here, in this state. They are our future. They can help solve the issues surrounding education, housing and transport as well as help us harness AI and other mechanisms to fix health.

“An investment in effective technology would free up nurses and doctors to do ‘the repairing of people’, not ‘the preparing of reports’,” she said.

Ms Hickey said public transport system had been left wallowing under the Liberal Government.

“I don’t care if you live in Taroona, Moonah, or Granton; you should have safe, accessible, reliable transport to education, appointments, and employment. How has the Liberal Government destroyed our public transport system and failed our community?”

Ms Hickey said more also needed to be done on climate change at a local level.

“We all need to do better to limit greenhouse emissions, whether it is through science in farming, making electric vehicles and charging points more accessible to average families or offering subsidies for solar panels to free up our electricity for businesses needing to expand in Tasmania.”

Ms Hickey said she supported a stadium at Macquarie Point, as long the focus remained on the key priorities of health, housing, education and cost of living.

“I remain open-minded about Stadium 2.0. I want to see it thoroughly investigated to ensure it represents value for money and will bring the promised returns. However, it is the only option I see where most of the funding is coming from the private sector.

“My major concern is that we have had a decade of political cover-ups, of lies and in-fighting. It’s time to move on from that dysfunction.

“I want grown-ups elected to parliament who can use their skills, brains, and hard work to put the people’s needs before a party’s dictatorship.

“The two-party system has failed us and I am keen for my independent and experienced voice to be part of a new and vibrant era for Tasmania,” Ms Hickey said.