Community Services Funding

Ms BURNET question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF

[10.40 a.m.]

This House is reflecting the concerns of the community. Your own Treasury department has warned that Tasmania's financial buffers have been depleted and the state is poorly positioned to adequately respond to a shock. Now, we are facing what the International Energy Agency describes as the largest global oil supply disruption in history, driving up the cost of materials, freight, insurance and labour, with profound implications. At the same time, your government is preparing to cut funding for community services that support our most vulnerable. In the face of this unprecedented global shock and rising project costs, isn't it now essential that your government urgently reassesses the affordability and priority of major infrastructure projects and be prepared to make some hard decisions?

ANSWER

Honourable Speaker, I thank the honourable member for her question but reject the premise of the question that we're going to cut funding for community services. We've clearly outlined growth funding which we committed to in the 2024 election and that's flowing through and there was strong advocacy put forward by TasCOSS in representing their members at the time. I believe I'm speaking at a TasCOSS forum in around 10 days or so and look forward to that and I'm mostly looking forward to listening to the people who will be listening to me speak, but the most important reason I'm there is to listen to the people who are supporting vulnerable Tasmanians and that will be my main objective through that forum.

We need to ensure that we have disciplined management but the right priority focus when it comes to supporting Tasmanians and vulnerable Tasmanians. That doesn't mean a slash-and-burn approach. That doesn't mean not engaging our construction sector in building a central infrastructure - one for services such as our hospitals and schools - and indeed areas that can support our visitor economy and grow our economy to support our own-source revenue as well. Our strong advocacy with the federal government has increased our own-source revenue to the tune of $700 million when it comes to health funding and of course GST revenue as well, which is also important.

To your question, we are looking at presenting a very balanced budget in terms of the needs of Tasmanians, growing the economy, but also focusing on the key priorities of vulnerable Tasmanians, particularly those on low and fixed incomes as well.

Supplementary Question

Ms BURNET - I believe this is really a test of your leadership. I go back to the original question: because of the unprecedented global shock and rising project costs, isn't it now essential that your government urgently reassess the affordability and priority of major infrastructure projects and be prepared to make some hard decisions? That includes the stadium.

Mr ROCKLIFF - You got to the nub of the question eventually, which was: am I going to stop the stadium? No, I'm not, because it will be a great boon for Tasmania economically, grow our state and enhance our visitor economy. Now is not the time to make rash decisions, now is the time to work through in a very measured and purposeful approach about ensuring that we insulate Tasmania as much as we possibly can from the uncertainty of the global environment. That, for me, ensures that we've got fuel supply for our primary producers and our farmers and we can support Tasmanians with the cost of living as well.