Liberals’ growth plan comes under fire

WHILE the State Government is putting its faith in a strong economy to boost Tasmania’s population, the Opposition says the Liberals are failing to plan ahead.

The Government set a population target of 650,000 by 2050 when the party was first elected in 2014 and the target remains in place today.

State Growth Minister Michael Ferguson said the latest positive report on Tasmania’s economic performance showed Tasmania was becoming an increasingly attractive place to work and live.

“The October 2019 Commsec State of the States Report, once again confirms that the Tasmanian economy is surging ahead,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Under the policies of the Hodgman majority Liberal Government the state’s economic fundamentals remain conducive to population growth.”

However, Opposition treasury spokesman David O’Byrne said the State Government wasn’t planning well for population growth, with a failure to invest in housing and infrastructure.

“Tasmanians deserve a Government that plans for future population growth, and delivers on it,” Mr O’Byrne said.

“Will Hodgman has failed to deliver on his promise to deliver the lowest jobless rate in the country. More than 3500 full-time jobs have been lost since the election, and if you don’t have a job you will take longer to find one than anywhere else in the nation.

“Public housing waiting lists, on average, are almost 500 days long and rental affordability is the worst in the country.

“The Liberals have underspent their infrastructure budget every year by about 25 per cent, and many of their major projects, like the Bridgewater Bridge, the new TT-Line vessels and the Hobart airport roundabout, are in disarray.”