Editorial: Take pride in our efforts

Exactly how far measures aimed at reopening the economy go will depend on the health advice the national cabinet receives. But we are all heading in the right direction, and should be proud of what we’ve achieved, together.

IN THIS week’s Sunday Tasmanian, former Premier Will Hodgman was asked how he managed the state’s budget — when rounding errors on the $6.5 billion beast are worth millions of dollars — and his answer should place many minds at ease.

“I had the meticulousness of the Treasurer, now-Premier Peter Gutwein,” Mr Hodgman said, in a big nod to his former colleague’s way with numbers.

Today, as national cabinet meets to discuss Australia’s road to economic recovery, Tasmanians have the confidence of knowing the man who is often credited with many of the policies which placed us in a good fiscal position, will be sitting at the table on our behalf.

As late as December, Tasmania’s government was tipped to return a $57 million surplus.

Premier Peter Gutwein during question time in state parliament. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

The U-turn to a $500 million deficit is not good news. However, the people in power are those who have walked the talk on good money management, those who effectively tucked enough away for the rainy day the COVID-19 outbreak threw our way.

On the health front, the community effort to flatten the curve has, thus far, proven to be amazingly successful.

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Tragically, the Tasmanian death toll presently sits at 13, and across Australia close to 100 lives have been lost. However, globally Australia presently has just 0.04 per cent of the world’s positive COVID-19 cases.

This places us in the fortuitous position of being able to refocus our efforts on the economy and ensure there is as solid a bounce-back as possible.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg flagged yesterday the national hit to GDP, for the June quarter, would be about 10 per cent.

A shocking fall in normal times, but perhaps less alarming when we consider just how many businesses have been forced to temporarily shut their doors as a result of health restrictions.

And in much the same way Tasmanians have shown their unity when it comes to stopping the spread of this virus, one suspects a “we’re all in this together” mentality may help the private sector rally around the cause to ensure we make up as much economic ground as possible.

Certainly, some of the policies unveiled by the Gutwein Government show ideology has been well and truly left at the door.

For example, removing $258 million worth of projected efficiencies for the public service and rolling out interest-free loans totalling $111 million for local councils, would in normal times raise many eyebrows in the Liberal Party Room.

But these are not normal times, and it is a credit to the government as a whole that such differences have been placed to the side for the greater good.

Today, all eyes will once again turn to the Premier’s press conference to see whether some restrictions are lifted.

Exactly how far the measures aimed at reopening the economy go will depend on the health advice the national cabinet receives.

But we are all heading in the right direction, and should be proud of what we’ve all achieved, together.