Health, housing and jobs on Labor leader Rebecca White’s agenda

Tasmania’s opposition leader says high unemployment, lack of housing and a failing health system need urgent attention.

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THE state government must use the year ahead to address Tasmania’s entrenched problems of high joblessness, a failing health system and poor housing availability and not just focus solely on the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor leader Rebecca White says.

The Labor leader said her party would spend 2021 outlining its agenda for Tasmania and said that after nearly seven years in power the Liberals needed to do the same.

“There are a number of other issues confronting our state the government needs to focus on: the fact that our unemployment rate is the highest in the country, our elective surgery waiting lists are the worst they’ve ever been, public housing waiting lists are too long, we’ve got some of the poorest education outcomes for Tasmania students, we need to address all of these things,” Ms White said.

“And the government can’t take its eye off the ball and just focus on coronavirus because there are other serious matters that require the government’s attention.

“They’ve had nearly seven years in office so you think by now we start to see some improvements.”

Labor leader Rebecca White.

Cuts to JobKeeper and JobSeeker will have a huge impact on households and on the state economy, Ms White said. It was something that would heighten the economic challenge after a year of economic stimulus.

“Our economic data are demonstrating we’ve got the worst unemployment rate in the country a very high youth unemployment rate,” she said.

“It’s true if you look across the rest of the country that governments have handled the health crisis have been rewarded for that. But it’s the economic challenges that confront Tasmania now that require our attention.

“And I believe it’ll be whichever party demonstrates the best response to the economic challenges will be rewarded at the polls.”

Premier Peter Gutwein has ruled out calling an early election, but Ms White said Labor would be ready as an alternative government with a full suite of costed policies whenever the election was.

“Labor’s got a big agenda for this year,” she said.

“We’ve already launched our jobs plan, which will help create 35,000 jobs for Tasmania at a time when our unemployment rate is the worst in the nation.

“We’ll also be out making other key announcements this year, particularly around health and education as key drivers of opportunity for Tasmanians and to ensure that we address the challenges we see in our health system.”

Acting Premier Jeremy Rockliff accused Labor of being lazy.

“In another attempt to gain relevance, Rebecca White has today re-released Labor’s glossy brochure from last year.

“The Tasmanian Liberal Government already has a plan to rebuild a stronger Tasmania, through its record $5 billion job-creating infrastructure investment.”

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