The Premier announces free sanitary items among suite of policies in State of State speech
The Premier has announced a suite of new policies coming soon, including free sanitary items in state schools and allowing Tassie GPs to prescribe medicinal cannabis, but the state opposition is not convinced. FULL BREAKDOWN >>
Politics
Don't miss out on the headlines from Politics. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Premier reveals a better-than-expected mid-year budget update
- Thousands of Tasmanians are still relying on JobKeeper
LABOR leader Rebecca White has accused the Liberals of policy paralysis and the embrace of mediocrity amid a sea of broken promises.
Ms White highlighted a series of crises that predated the pandemic during her State of the State reply speech in state parliament on Wednesday — from long waiting lists in the health system, the housing crisis, to struggling ambulance services.
“We have been desensitised to having the worst outcomes in health and education in the country,” she said.
“Returning to normal means returning to mediocrity. Returning to the social and economic outcomes that are the worst in the country.
“The Liberals promised to fix Tasmania’s health system. They promised to address traffic congestion in our cities. They promised to deliver more affordable housing. They promised to improve the delivery of mental health services. They promised not to introduce new taxes for Tasmanians. They promised to be more transparent and more accountable.
“Ultimately, actions from this Premier will speak louder than his words.”
Ms White said the government was “minding the shop” thanks to a policy paralysis brought on by deep ideological division between moderates and hard-line conservatives, revealed most starkly during the right-to-die debate.
“In contrast to the worn-out Liberals, I am incredibly fortunate to lead a strong, capable and united team,” she said.
Labor would be focusing on its own plans to boost jobs, housing and health, she told parliament.
“I am under no illusion as to how difficult and how important the next 12 months will be but I’ve got to tell you that I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want Labor to win the next election,” the Labor leader said.
“Because after nearly eight years under a Liberal Government I see there are far too many people who have been left behind and far too many important projects that have stalled.
“This Liberal Government doesn’t deserve 12 years.”
Liberal Member for Franklin Nic Street described the address as “an embarrassing indictment on a Labor Party with no clear plan for our State’s future”.
“We won’t be distracted by Labor’s negativity, we will continue to implement our clear plan to create jobs and invest in the essential services our State needs as we recover from the pandemic and secure Tasmania’s future,” he said.
Government “declared war on TAFE: Union
THE state government has “declared war on TAFE,” because it doesn’t like public education and wants to pick a fight, the state’s teacher’s union says.
Australian Education Union state manager Brian Wightman said there had been no consultation with the TasTAFE workforce before the announcement it would become a Government Business Enterprise in Tuesday’s State of the State address.
He said teachers’ working conditions would suffer as a result.
“The Tasmanian Liberal government has declared war on TAFE,” he said.
“If this was about teaching and learning and improving outcomes for students, then they would have worked with the highly-valued teachers at TAFE.
“What they chosen to do is announced in the State of the State speech, which clearly shows to us that they are not focused on public education, they are focused on privatising TasTAFE.
“This is about training our young people. If you want to get the best out of our young people, then you work with the educators who are best placed to provide them with the training.
“This will be driven by profit, like all of the other GBEs.”
Mr Wightman said TAFE teachers would be public servants one day and shifted to a stand-alone company on individual contracts the next.
In state parliament on Wednesday, Labor leader Rebecca White condemned the announcement.
“Your anti-public education agenda has been comprehensively exposed,” she told Premier Peter Gutwein.
“Your Liberal colleagues have launched a similar attack on TAFE in South Australia, which has resulted in the loss of courses and the closure of multiple regional campuses, wasting money on a war with teachers and communities that depend on TAFE will delay economic recovery and result in diminished training and education.”
In reply, Mr Gutwein said that changes to the working arrangements of TAFE teachers would be central to the reforms.
“Labor blew TAFE up,” he said. “We have rebuilt TAFE. Now it is time to ensure that TAFE is fit for purpose as we move forward.
“Here in Tasmania TAFE struggles under an archaic industrial relations system. We have the highest number of holidays in the country – 11 weeks.
“We have the highest level of holidays, the lowest levels of contact time, and one of the most inflexible working arrangements, whereas across the country training providers are able to offer flexible training hours, training on weekends.
“We need to ensure that young Tasmanians and Tasmanians who want a job are able to be trained and skilled for the growing jobs we have in our community right now.”
A ‘budget-like State of the State
Blair Richards – March 16
TASMANIA’S Premier has delivered a budget-like State of the State address containing a suite of new policies, including more money for Macquarie Point and an overhaul of TasTafe.
Premier Peter Gutwein told state parliament the government was focused on the future after an extraordinary year dominated by the global pandemic and its economic impacts.
“We will not forget the sacrifices that Tasmanians made, the cost borne by individuals, families and communities, nor will we ever forget that tragically there were 13 lives lost,” Mr Gutwein told state parliament.
Mr Gutwein released the final report from the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council, with the report informing many of the policies announced on Tuesday.
One of the biggest wins from the announcement was that the government would provide free sanitary items in all state schools from Term 3.
“Last year a 14 year old student wrote to the government asking for free sanitary items for girls in our schools, explaining that many students struggle to buy these products, and sometimes even miss school because of that,” Mr Gutwein said.
“We need to remove barriers to learning, and so I’m pleased to say we will make sanitary items freely available in all Government schools from Term 3 this year.”
He said the COVID-19 recovery advisory council had conducted one of the biggest ever listening exercises in the state’s history, consulting over 3500 Tasmanians.
The state government will accept all the report’s 52 recommendations.
“If we can close our borders, shut our businesses, support those most disadvantaged in a time of crisis, then we can seize this moment to adopt the future focused recommendations of PESRAC, informed by Tasmanians for Tasmanians,” he said.
Policies announced in the State of the State speech included:
- Making TasTafe into a stand-alone government business
- Providing $77 million more to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation to get development moving
- Fully funding the recommended reforms of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
- A new headworks holiday for residential subdivisions
- Allowing Tasmanian GPs to prescribe medicinal cannabis
- Phasing out single use plastics statewide
- Providing free period products in state government schools
- A no permit pathway for homeowners to build ancillary dwellings such as granny flats
- Land tax relief including an increased land value threshold
Mr Gutwein also acknowledged the thousands of women who rallied in Hobart yesterday as part of a national day of action against gendered violence.
“I see you, I hear you. This Government, this parliament sees you and it hears you, and while action has been taken already, we know there is more to be done, and we will not shirk our responsibilities to ensure that everyone is safe, everyone is respected and everyone is supported,” he said.
Ferguson’s fate rests with Independent MPs
Labor have threatened the possibility of a no-confidence motion in the Deputy Premier over the replacement Spirit saga. Here’s whether they will have the support of the parliament.
Spirit of Tassie is a big, unholy mess
Trying to keep track of what’s happened with the Spirit of Tasmania saga? Political editor David Killick breaks down the key moments