ROOM TO IMPROVE

THOSE who missed the first leadership debate of the election campaign may well be wondering who was best on ground. The Property Council of Tasmania hosted Premier Peter Gutwein and Labor leader Rebecca White in a live debate at Wrest Point Casino yesterday.

Compared to the first two weeks on the election trail, which were focused primarily on candidate debacles in both parties, this week has been altogether more subdued and a chance for voters to learn about policy.

Mr Gutwein yesterday hung his hat on his government’s performance during the pandemic. He says Tasmania is in a betterthan-expected budgetary position due to the strong response. The state has bounced back well but it’s still early days.

While he claims he was forced to call the election because his government became a minority government, we all know that the timing was opportunistic and there is no doubt he was keen to capitalise on his popularity. Still, he knows that on the numbers Labor would struggle to form a majority government.

Both leaders swore they would stand aside if, after the election, they were unable to form a majority government.

Ms White pushed the point the government hadn’t delivered on its promised infrastructure projects and insisted that postcoronavirus we should be striving for a better, fairer Tasmania.

The most surprising thing about the debate was how much of it centred on TAFE.

Perhaps because it’s one of the only areas in which voters can see a considerable policy difference.

“This is the biggest issue we have in Tasmania,” Ms White said.

It was unclear if she was referring to TAFE funding or skilled worker shortages — either way it’s hard to see how health and housing are not issues of greater concern to voters.

Other than a comment on Labor’s embarrassing factional fighting that dogged the first part of the party’s campaign, Mr Gutwein’s closing speech was lacklustre and a bit tired. Ms White’s closing delivery was powerful but the substance was lacking. Telling an audience: “I’ve never wanted anything more than to be Premier,” hardly gives a compelling reason to cast a vote Ms White’s way.

So who won the state’s first election debate?

Well, the jury’s still out.

Both leaders can successfully chide the other by going over old ground, but what neither has managed to do yet is succinctly spell out to Tasmanians how their lives and their state will be improved under their leadership.

Luckily for both, they’ve time to pick up their act in time for the Sky News and Mercury People’s Forum to be held on Monday, April 26.