Politics
Josh Willie’s 2026 State of the State Response
The text of Labor Leader Josh Willie’s 2026 State of the State Response.
Below is the text of Labor Leader Josh Willie’s 2026 State of the State Response, delivered in the House of Assembly on Thursday, 5 March. Please check against delivery.
Honourable speaker, let me start by telling the truth about the state of the state.
Tasmania is a great place to live.
Tasmanians are proud of where we come from.
We work hard, we look after each other, and we all want our kids to do better than we did.
But right now, too many Tasmanians feel like the things that should be within reach, are slipping further away.
Owning a home feels out of reach for young Tasmanians.
Rent keeps rising.
The weekly shop costs more.
Mortgage payments cost more.
Power bills, petrol, rego, it all costs more.
Tasmanians want to know they can see a doctor when they need one.
They want their kids to get the best possible start in life.
They want to feel confident about their future.
And above all, they want an economy that works for them – not a government disconnected from their reality.
Speaker,
In that context, Tasmania needs leadership with ambitious vision, and a plan for Tasmania’s future.
A plan to lift living standards by increasing housing supply so families can afford to put a roof over their head.
By fixing our health system so Tasmanians can access care when they need it.
And by strengthening early education so every child gets a genuine opportunity.
Speaker,
In his speech, the Premier had an opportunity to outline how he would make life easier for Tasmanians.
How he would make housing more affordable.
How he would take pressure off hospitals.
How he would ease cost-of-living pressures.
Instead, his centrepiece announcement was a departmental restructure.
A machinery-of-government change.
A new name on the door.
“Building Tasmania.”
Speaker,
Tasmanians can’t pay their rent with an organisational chart.
They can’t get a doctor’s appointment because you renamed a department.
And they can’t buy their first home because you “realigned functions.”
“Building Tasmania” is building nothing.
Speaker he’s just shuffling the deck chairs and sending 250 hard working public servants to the life boats.
A new name – the same problems.
Speaker,
We also heard that Homes Tasmania will effectively be folded into this new “Building Tasmania” structure.
Let’s call that what it is.
An admission of failure.
Labor warned from the start that Homes Tasmania was set up to shift responsibility – not deliver more homes.
And the numbers speak for themselves.
More than 5,000 Tasmanians are now on the primary housing waitlist.
Five thousand.
Under the Liberals’ so-called fast-track housing program, Homes Tasmania has delivered six homes in seven years.
Six.
In seven years.
Homes Tasmania has spent more time shifting goalposts and counting vacant blocks of land towards housing targets, than actually getting Tasmanians into homes.
Simply moving it under a new banner won’t fix that.
The Housing Minister now needs to explain how this restructure will deliver keys in doors – not just headlines.
Tasmanians don’t need a new department name.
They need more houses.
Speaker,
I’m looking at a tired, 12 year-old Liberal Government that has run out of steam and ideas.
They’ve already collapsed twice.
Two early elections because the Premier couldn’t manage a minority parliament.
And now, with just 15 confidence and supply agreements locked in speaker – they aren’t governing, they’re barely surviving.
This Liberal Government is being propped up by a crossbench that chose to keep them in power.
And chose to give Eric Abetz control of the budget.
That decision will define this Parliament.
No matter how much buyers’ remorse some members on that crossbench might feel now.
Or how loudly they complain when the horror budget arrives in May.
They will have to own this Government.
They will have to own the Abetz cuts when they inevitably come.
They made the deal, and they voted accordingly.
They cannot walk away from it because they’ve decided they don’t like it anymore.
Speaker,
Tasmania needs stability.
Businesses are sick of the instability.
Workers are sick of the instability.
And so are Tasmanians.
Speaker,
Tasmanians want a different style of politics.
They want a government that governs, not one that just survives.
They want stability.
They want honesty.
And they want leadership with a plan.
That’s what Labor will offer.
Because while this Government staggers from crisis to crisis.
While every day in this place could be their last.
We will be outlining an agenda.
A vision.
An ambitious plan for Tasmania’s future.
Speaker,
We’ve already started.
Labor has a plan that is good for kids, good for families, and good for Tasmania.Two weeks ago I announced that a Labor Government will deliver five days of kindergarten in every public school and universal access to pre-school for three-year-olds.
It’s more than just an education policy from a former teacher.
It’s a blueprint for structural economic reform.
Tasmania has the lowest workforce participation rate in the nation.
The highest underemployment.
Women’s participation remains well below the national average.
Employers across the state are crying out for workers.
Lifting participation to the national average is a billion-dollar opportunity for Tasmania just waiting for a government with ambition to act.
And one of the biggest barriers holding families back is access to early education and childcare.
Travelling across the state, I hear it constantly.
Families want to work, but they can’t get the care they need.
So they cut hours.
Or they leave the workforce.
And household budgets are forced to take another hit.
Five days of kinder will give children more time to learn and grow, and it reduces pressure on long day care centres by freeing up places for more children.
Universal access to pre-school will give families more options and help ease cost-of-living pressure.
Speaker, when I was teaching in the northern suburbs, many of the students in my classroom came from tough circumstances.
Some were going without things no child should go without.
So I used to buy bags of food out of my own pocket and leave them on my desk.
I’d tell the kids they could take what they needed, no questions asked.
Every child deserves a fair start.
Speaker,
I’ve seen firsthand what happens when support comes too late.
Children start school already behind, and spend years trying to catch up.
For some children, school is a sanctuary.
But I want it to be more than that.
I want it to be a springboard.
A springboard to opportunity and a springboard to a better future.
For every Tasmanian child – no matter where they live.
That is why this reform matters to me.
And it won’t be the last bold idea you see from us this term.
Last year the Premier stood here and spoke about leading with heart.
He bragged about employing more teachers and health workers.
Yet for months now, public sector negotiations have stalled.
Ultimatums through the media.
Workers pushed toward industrial action.
And a Treasurer publicly pitting Tasmanians against each other.
Respect is not something you ration.
Tasmania is in a national labour market.
If we don’t value our workers, we lose them.
And when we lose them, Tasmanians pay the price.
Speaker,
Last year the Premier said he would focus on one thing – a strong economy.
But today we have the highest unemployment rate in the nation.
The lowest participation.
The highest underemployment.
The lowest wages.
If the economy is 70 per cent bigger, why do Tasmanians feel poorer?
An economy that leaves people behind is not a strong economy.
It’s a Liberal economy.
So when the Premier talks about the economy he’s built, I ask this:
How many Tasmanians feel like the system is working for them right now?
Speaker,
Last year the Premier stood here and told Tasmanians debt was manageable.
He said we were in a sound position.
Since then, both major ratings agencies have downgraded Tasmania’s credit rating.
The Fiscal Sustainability Report says Tasmania is on a trajectory for $130 billion in debt and commonwealth intervention.
He didn’t put that in the speech.
Debt is being used to fund day-to-day services.
Interest payments are exploding, and projected to hit at least $600 million every year.
That’s money that won’t create a single job, build a single home, teach a single kid or pay for a single hospital bed.
Because of the Liberals, it will go to banks instead.
Speaker, when the Liberals came to office in 2014, there was no net debt.
None.
The Liberals have delivered us the worst finances in the country, and Tasmanians have nothing to show for it.
The report makes something else clear.
In order to turn this around there will be massive cuts required, tax increases, or both.
That’s the Abetz budget Tasmanians are now bracing for.
The Treasurer wants Tasmanians to pay the price through cuts.
Cuts that will hit services.
Cuts that will hit workers.
And cuts that will hit families.
Cuts to clean up the mess they made.
Speaker,
Will the Premier and Cabinet let Eric Abetz do what he wants to do?
Or will they deliver another Barnett budget?
One that kicks the can down the road and makes the problem worse next year.
Either way, the crossbench cannot wash its hands of this.
They voted for this Government.
They voted for this Treasurer.
And when the Abetz cuts come, Tasmanians will know exactly who kept the Liberals in power.
Speaker,
Tasmanians are already being asked to pay for Liberal incompetence.
The Spirits fiasco has already cost Tasmanians well over half a billion dollars and counting.
After sending the company broke, they have spent $75 million bailing out TT-Line
And it’s a dead-set-certainty that hundreds of millions more will be needed to keep the company afloat.
It’s the most egregious government business failure this government has presided over.
But during the election campaign the Premier decided to say “hold my beer”, I want to create a government-backed insurance company.
The Premier promised Tasmanians they would save $250 a year. Not true.
He couldn’t even get the words out on Tuesday without laughing.
Independent analysis says it would cost $150 million to establish.
Lose $13 million every year.
Risk hundreds of millions, if not billions, more, and bleed the MAIB dry within 15 years.
That isn’t lowering the cost of living.
That’s gambling with it.
Rising insurance costs are a real issue.
I’ve spoken with families and small businesses across the state who tell me exactly how hard it is.
But I’m not going to make promises I can’t keep.
And I’m not going to announce a policy until I know it’s part of the solution.
There’s more work to do, and Labor will do it.
Tasmanians deserve support. They don’t deserve a hoax.
Speaker,
This Government is 12 years old.
And it shows.
I remember when the Liberals first came to power.
They spoke with ambition. They talked about reform. They had an agenda.
They had energy.
But now, that’s gone.
The big vision, speaker?
A restructure.
A new department name.
Tinkering. Panels. Reviews.
Where are the ideas?
This isn’t a government entering a new era.
It’s a government entering its final chapter.
Last year, the Premier stood in this place and announced a sweeping privatisation agenda.
It was the centrepiece of his speech.
Selling public assets.
He said he believed in it, speaker.
He said it was necessary.
Then the politics got hard, and like usual, he backflipped.
Because this Government doesn’t operate on conviction.
It operates on survival.
We can’t believe a word this Premier says, because he will say literally whatever it takes to survive the day.
Speaker, Tasmanians cannot afford a Government that says one thing today and abandons it tomorrow.
Speaker,
Tasmanians expect higher standards.
But under this Government, standards have slipped again and again.
We saw it with Minister Duigan and the disgraceful treatment of a 100-year-old football club in his own electorate.
A funding promise withdrawn.
His story changed.
And accountability had to be imposed by this Parliament because the Premier wouldn’t act.
It goes to the heart of integrity in government.
And when Tasmanians see integrity failures and a Premier who looks the other way – trust in government is eroded.
This year, Labor will work with any member of this Parliament on genuine integrity reform that’s in the public interest.Real accountability. Real transparency.
Speaker,
There is another test of leadership approaching this Parliament.
The Premier stood at National Cabinet and endorsed a communique stating that “strong, decisive action was needed” on gun law reform – including limits on the number of firearms any one individual can hold.
But what Tasmanians have seen since then has been anything but strong or decisive.
Instead, we’ve seen hesitation.
We’ve seen Ministers contradict each other.
And we’ve seen a Liberal Party that appears more concerned about One Nation on its right flank than about community safety.
Tasmanians deserve better than that.
They deserve a government prepared to lead – not one looking over its shoulder.
Speaker,
Today I announce, after careful consideration, Tasmanian Labor will begin working constructively with the crossbench to deliver sensible, practical reforms that improve public safety.
This will include introducing limits on the number of firearms that can be held by any one individual.
Five for recreational hunters, and ten for primary producers and sports shooters – consistent with the approach being adopted by the majority of Australian states and territories.
Tasmania should not be an outlier on these national reforms because this Liberal Government lacks the courage to act.
Under my leadership, Labor will be strong on this.
At the same time, we recognise the legitimate needs of farmers, sports shooters and responsible firearms users.
That is why our proposal will include a clear exemption process, allowing individuals to apply to the Police Commissioner where a higher number of firearms is justified.
Speaker,
This debate should not be about ideology.
It should be about community safety.
These reforms strengthen community safety while respecting the legitimate needs of primary producers, sports shooters and recreational hunters – and they do not stop or prevent any of these lawful activities.
Tasmania now has more guns than at the time of Port Arthur and the highest number of guns per capita in the nation.
Tasmanians understand that it is possible to respect legitimate firearms ownership, while also ensuring sensible safeguards that reduce risk.
Speaker,
Tasmanians also understand that you can care about secure, regional jobs that put food on the table.
And, you can care about protecting our natural environment and our Tasmanian way of life.
Those things are not mutually exclusive.
We believe Tasmania’s long-term prosperity depends on getting that balance right.
And in the term ahead, we will outline how we secure both – responsibly and carefully.
Strong regional employment and protecting what makes this place special.
Speaker,
This year will also mark something important for our movement.
Next month, Labor will hold its first State Conference in 7 years.
More than 200 delegates from every corner of Tasmania will come together – members, unions, MPs – to debate ideas, discuss policy, and shape the direction of our party.
It will energise our movement.
Strengthen our ideas.
And show Tasmanians something important.
Labor is back.
Back as a party of collective strength.
A party powered by members, communities, and working people.
Not big business.
Not protest politics.
But serious, future-focused leadership.
Speaker,
While this Government clings to power through deals and tries to survive every day in this place, Labor will be charting a course for the future.
Speaker,
This Government has no unifying purpose.
No credible plan to fix the budget and protect the public services Tasmanians rely on.
No plan to lift education outcomes for our kids.
No plan to get more Tasmanians into housing or deliver homes people can afford.
No plan to take the pressure off our hospitals and health workers.
What we saw on Tuesday from the Premier was not a plan to make life easier for Tasmanians.
It was another rebrand.
A restructure.
A slogan.
A government in survival mode after 12 years – trying to make it through another.
Speaker,
Tasmanians deserve better than a government on borrowed numbers.
Better than a parliament defined by a deal.
Labor will not accept a future where Tasmania becomes a place where home ownership is a fantasy.
Where wages don’t keep up.
Where healthcare is harder to access, and where a child’s future depends on their postcode.
Labor will put forward a real alternative.
A plan to build more homes and get more Tasmanians into housing they can afford.
A plan to strengthen our health system so people can get care when they need it.
A plan to lift education and participation – starting with five days of kinder and universal access to pre-school.
And a plan to restore integrity and competence in how this state is governed.
Speaker,
Tasmanians don’t want a government that survives.
They want a government that works for them.
They want stability.
They want honesty.
We will be more than just the party that holds this Government to account.
We will outline a different future for Tasmanians.
We will give Tasmanians something to vote for.
Something they want us to deliver.
Thank you.