Winter talks of origins, philosophyin YouTube debut

Social media is brimming with influencers and there’s signs Tasmania’s politicians are seeking out that popularity. Check out Labor leader Dean Winter’s latest pitch. WATCH VIDEO >>

Labor leader Dean Winter has returned to his roots to shoot a social media video introducing himself to an online audience.

Mr Winter has posted a ten-minute explanation of his origins, political philosophy — and his aspirations for the state.

“I feel like people have almost given up on politics,” he says.

“They think that every politician is the same, that we all talk bullshit, that none of us actually care or do anything,” he said.

“The thing that worries me is that people have given up hope of having a government that actually delivers — and the message for them is that Labor is ready.

“Labor wants to form a new government that actually gets things done, that has a vision that has a purpose, that is determined to make things in Tasmania better and I really believe that we can do that.”

Mr Winter speaks about his youth growing up in Queenstown, his battle with stuttering, about the importance of his family and about how he has been motivated by the stories of everyday Tasmanians.

“I was door knocking one day for my first election and I met a guy who was mowing his lawn,” he said,

“He told me that he had been waiting for over six months to get in to see a specialist about the bowel cancer that he actually had.

“He knew that he was dying, he knew that he needed to see a specialist but he just couldn’t get in to get the care that he needed.

“So when we talk about 50,000 Tasmanians on the waiting list to see a specialist, he’s one of the people. It is real, it is hurting people.”

Labor leader Dean Winter appears in a YouTube video introducing himself to voters.

Mr Winter is pictured walking on the beach with his family, in his backyard, having a BBQ “Tasmania’s best playground” in Kingston, having a beer with West Coast locals, at a wind farm and in his Parliament House office.

He says the Liberals “don’t get it” and cites a series of undelivered promises.

“They say they’re going to fix education they’ve heard them say they’re going to fix the roads, big projects that they promise for ten years and never deliver.

“People have heard it all before and they’re sick of it.

“Every four days a plane load of young Tasmanians leaves for better opportunities on the mainland and it’s got to stop. Our population is ageing because young Tasmanians are leaving.

“I want a Tasmania where young Tasmanians want to stay, where they’ve got the opportunities to get safe, secure well-paid jobs stay here and raise their own families. I want to make it better.”

Mr Winter said he wanted to work to unlock $25bn of renewable energy projects on the drawing board and cites as his inspirations Labor premiers Eric Reece and Jim Bacon.

“It felt like you could trust him,” he said of Mr Bacon, “he had the right vision for our state and you could rely on him to get things done.”

The video has had 619 views since being posted three weeks ago.