Truth-telling and Treaty, State Budget 2026-27
[6.22 p.m.]
Ms BURNET (Clark) - I recognise that yesterday was National Sorry Day and this is Reconciliation Week. I, like many others in this place, attended the Reconciliation Week Breakfast today, and thank the organisers.
The thoughtful commentary from all panel members put a great deal of perspective as to what is still required to reach truth-telling and treaty here in Lutruwita. I want to thank those members of the Palawa community who, over my time in public life, have provided advice and who have taught me that there is so much more to be gained when relationships with the Aboriginal community here in Lutruwita are set right in the frame of respect and understanding. This is important, and we in this place have a responsibility to set things right on the path to truth and treaty.
Honourable Speaker, I now turn to some other areas of concern that need mention with regard to the Abetz Budget. The Treasurer, Mr Abetz, has not diversified revenue sources ‑ a fundamental approach of any budget. In fact, any suggestion of revenue raising and the Treasurer demonises anyone who may even hint at the prospect. Instead, he wants to rely on the federal drip feed to the tune of 66 per cent of the state's budget, at the same time constantly blaming the feds for cost shifting in Health and Aged Care, a tedious but predictable pattern we have come to expect from the Treasurer.
Without revenue raising, as we have seen, the burden falls entirely on services. However, we know there are sound options: targeted inheritance taxes on the wealthiest estates, increased mining royalties. The government should extract a greater levy from electronic gaming machines and the pokies industry, to offset social harm that happens every single day to those addicted to these insidious machines. Charges for resource use ending in efficient tax concessions. These are choices, and they've been ruled out not on economic grounds but on ideological grounds.
We see cuts to the community sector that are very deep and will have long‑lasting ramifications. The community sector, Deputy Speaker, sees funding fall from $50 million to $17 million across the forward Estimates. That's not trimming, it's dismantling. At a time when need is rising for our many people relying on these community services, support is being withdrawn.
As I raised with my question to the Treasurer this morning, the Office of Climate Change is to be buried in the back rooms of Natural Resources and the Environment and has had funding diminished to half over forward Estimates. That's half the funding that it has now. This is poor planning for one of Tasmania's greatest challenges ‑ a changing climate. Planning for this would be so much more prepared for Tasmanians' livelihoods, for resilience-building in our communities, and our businesses as well.
There is no denying the impacts of climate change and our government should be investing in this area, but unfortunately, we don't have a government prepared to recognise what is at stake. It is the ambulance at the bottom of the climate change cliff. Yet there does not appear to be any funding in this Budget for any of its climate change actions. In fact, the budget on the Climate Change Office, which coordinates the government's work on climate change and its interactions with business community and other levels of government, is halved.
This Budget asks the most vulnerable to carry the heaviest burden. It protects ideology. It protects pet projects like the stadium. It does nothing to restore confidence in the government's ability to restructure departments or deliver major projects on time nor on budget, and its sacrifices services. This is not fair, nor sustainable, nor desirable. Tasmania deserved a balanced plan. Instead, a reprehensible budget was delivered. Shame.