Slowest economy in the nation, $1.5 billion in cuts not the answer

Tasmania’s economy is broken after 13 years of the Liberals. 

The latest Deloitte Business Outlook shows that Tasmania has the slowest forecast growth in gross state product of any state or territory in the nation. 

Population data shows young people are fleeing the state for better opportunities as thousands of jobs disappear; the unemployment rate reaches the highest in the nation and regional industries being reviewed and attempted to be shut down.

We’ve seen Boags, Liberty Bell Bay, and iconic Tasmanian hospitality businesses shut their doors.  Iconic industries have been told they cannot have access to more power – because we have not built any new energy capacity for years. 

We’ve seen the Premier lease out a sporting arena to a billionaire for the same price a family pays to rent a house, as part of a secret deal which could expose taxpayers to up to $100 million in costs, with no certainty of development.

We’ve seen a half-a-billion dollar bailout to TT-Line which has been audited as insolvent after the Liberals forgot to build a berth.

When an organisation did decide to invest in Tasmania through the lawful sale of Rushy Lagoon, we’ve seen the Liberals turn around and launch a political witch hunt.  Who could invest in the state while the Liberal Government is running an inquiry into why anyone would invest here?

Premier Rockliff’s only answer to Tasmania’s economic woes after 13 years of Liberal waste has been to put Eric Abetz in charge of $1.5 billion in cuts. 

You cannot sell out traditional industries, sack 1,700 workers, freeze essential services, and expect Tasmania’s economy to grow.