Talking Point: Rebuild the state with our goodwill

We need to spend billions on infrastructure, boost training and health, and restore the size of parliament, writes Michael Bailey

RECOVERY: The $3.2 billion infrastructure blitz is a good start.

WITH the COVID-19 pandemic now apparently under control in our state (at least for now), it’s time to get back to work and back in business.

Premier Peter Gutwein and his government have done a fantastic job in controlling the virus and, with the most recent timely easing of restrictions, particularly the introduction of the two square metre rule, most businesses are theoretically able to operate at or near to capacity.

While some anomalies remain — for example, nightclubs, where you can’t dance, pubs where you can’t play eight-ball (!) and gyms still needing to be staffed — I have no doubt the Government will address these in coming weeks.

Throughout the past three months, the TCCI has been proud to lobby the government representing the interests of the business community, and I would like to put on the record our thanks for listening to our concerns. In particular, the decision of the Premier and Attorney-General not to regulate burdensome new COVID-19 workplace restrictions, instead relying on the directions under the Public Health Emergency, was very welcome. Moving forward, we recognise the Government has to maintain a very delicate balance, particularly with regard to our borders.

With some 17 per cent of our state’s jobs pre-COVID-19 relying on incoming tourism, it is unfortunately not feasible for us to keep our borders closed forever and instead relying purely on trading internally.

This might make sense for a state like Western Australia, with its massive mining industry, but such an approach — even with all restrictions lifted internally — simply won’t allow us to get those 20,000 Tasmanians who have lost their jobs back into work.

In addition to careful management of our borders, as we emerge from the lockdowns it’s clear that some bold and out-of-the-box thinking is going to be required to get our economy rebooted, and our society humming again.

The government has already announced a $3.2 billion infrastructure blitz, but a lot more is going to be required.

No doubt the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council will also provide some ideas and recommendations.

WORKING OUT: Most businesses are in theory able to operate again.

Make no bones about it, it will be business that leads Tasmania’s recovery, but to do that we need practical support from the government.

One key area is government-funded training, which needs to more effectively focus on business and the economy.

Essentially, training needs to support adaptation of businesses to new markets, or to respond to growth opportunities. Too often we throw money at training that will really not achieve much.

For example, imagine 10 years ago funding Blockbuster Video for the usual training targets (front office, financial literacy, etc) — pretty pointless really. But if the focus was on moving its platform to an online streaming service they may have had a chance.

This is where the move of the Federal Government to put a greater focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) at university is welcome.

People can still do arts if they wish, but let’s encourage more people into training in areas where we absolutely know there is going to be great demand in coming years.

The Government should also commit to increasing the size of the parliament back to 35, to improve our democracy and increase the talent pool which governments can draw from.

Recently, a parliamentary inquiry consisting of Labor, Green and Liberal unanimously supported it, so let’s just get it done.

Another issue is to address our substandard health outcomes, relative to the rest of Australia.

One of the major reasons for this is our smoking rate, which remains the highest in the nation (apart from the Northern Territory) at 17.6 per cent, compared to a national average for adults of 15 per cent.

Over the past week, we saw a public debate about the issue of vaping, which resulted in Health Minister Greg Hunt deferring for six months a plan to ban the importation of vaping products.

Right across the Western world, in fact, even across the ditch in New Zealand, vaping/e-cigarettes is now endorsed, legalised and regulated as a legitimate and effective harm-reduction and smoking cessation tool.

No doubt the science is not settled on this, but we can’t simply go on doing what we were and somehow expect things to change for the better.

Due to his brilliant handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier Gutwein has accumulated a massive amount of political capital.

Now is the time to spend some of that, address some long-standing issues and really set Tasmania up for long-term success.

Michael Bailey is the chief executive of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.