In the Spring season of State Parliament set to kick-off this week, the Hodgman Liberal Government will be focussing on the key issues of health, education and jobs.
Since Parliament last sat, elective surgery waiting lists have fallen to the shortest on record and we’ve opened 40 more hospital beds since the election.
But we know our health system is still under immense strain which is why we’re making important changes such as making the Mersey Community Hospital a dedicated elective surgery centre, to free up beds for other patients at our major hospitals.
The unemployment rate has also fallen over winter and is now 1 percent lower than when we were elected.
But we know unemployment is still too high, which is why we’re continuing to support economic growth, through measures such as introducing a single statewide planning scheme and supporting our farmers during the recent natural disasters.
In education too, outcomes are improving, with a 58 per cent increase in students attending year 11 and 12 in the first extension to schools.
But we need to do better, which is why we are funding the full six years of Gonski and this week, the Education Minister will announce the finalised changes to the Education Act, following extensive consultation.
This week we’ll be introducing important legislation to strengthen the law against sex offenders and support tourism jobs by opening old rail corridors to public access.
We’ll also be debating important legislation including finalisation changes to building laws to make it easier to build a house, and laws to strengthen regulatory and environmental oversight of the salmon industry.
In contrast, Labor is disunited with no plan for the future, other than an unfunded $1 billion wishlist.
Tasmanians should also be prepared for embattled leader Bryan Green to say and do anything for his own political self-interest, with more false claims – like the non-existent RHH “mould cluster’’ and Basslink being “fried”; straw man arguments such as how not selling the Tamar Valley Power Station somehow caused a drought and Basslink to break, as well as outrageous personal slurs.
The Hodgman Liberals have a long-term plan which we are delivering; all Labor has is rock-throwing and scaremongering.