· 16 days of Parliament left
· Parliament resumed today after a lengthy break and Labor ran out of legislation
· Where is Labor’s vision for the future; the battle of ideas; the reform agenda? It simply doesn’t exist
The State Government ran out of substantive business for the Parliament to debate today, as Parliament resumed after a lengthy break, and with just 16 sitting days remaining for the year.
The government is tired, stale, out of puff, and out of ideas.
With no legislation to debate, the government brought on a puerile motion based on a completely false premise designed to create a scare campaign on industrial relations. It was designed to somehow suggest we have a Workchoices agenda when we have categorically ruled out that this is the case.
That this juvenile politicking was the best the government could do with the Parliament’s time when Tasmanians need leadership and vision for the future is a disgrace.
Where is the legislation Tasmanians have been waiting years for such as laws for mandatory screening for people who work with children?
Where is the new Mental Health Act – five years after a review was announced and some 14 draft Bills later?
Where is the legislation to create an integrity commission, an updated Disability Act, heritage reforms – the list goes on.
Where is the government’s reform agenda? Where is the Premier’s so-called “battle of ideas”?
With just 16 sitting days to go after today, not only this year but in this Parliament, Labor is not only out of legislative business, but out of ideas.
Tasmania needs leadership and vision for the future and today Labor proved it has neither.
This was a waste of the Parliament’s time and a cringe-worthy performance from Ms Singh, who showed why she was overlooked for a Ministry until she became the last person standing.
Will Hodgman MP Leader of the State Opposition
