The Liberals’ response to Saul Eslake’s independent review into the state’s finances is either a shocking exercise in delusion or an outright deception. It profoundly misrepresents the Liberal Government’s current budget mismanagement as somehow consistent with Mr Eslake’s recommendations, while outright rejecting them and providing no credible path back to surplus.
While claiming ‘consistency’ with Mr Eslake’s recommendations, the Liberals dismiss his suggestions on revenue generation, infrastructure spend management and the futility of budget cuts to critical services via ‘efficiency dividends.’ Other recommendations remain completely unaddressed, like the establishment of a Parliamentary Budget Office.
Meanwhile, the Liberal’s blunder along with a billion dollar stadium that Tasmanians can’t afford, don’t want and is making a blown budget worse.
Eslake’s report should have been a wake-up call for the Liberal Government that the budget needs more sustainable management. But once again, all we’ve got from the Liberals is more deception, rhetoric and spin. It’s unconscionable.
The mid-year budget estimates, released alongside their response to Mr Eslake’s review, again demonstrates that the Liberals spending priorities are all wrong. While the Liberals are spending a billion dollars on a stadium and giving big corporations a free ride, the state’s debt is skyrocketing.
Whilst the level of debt is worrying, there are obvious ways out of this mess. The Liberals need to get their priorities straight.
It’s time the Liberals finally made the big mining, building and gambling companies pay their fair share. While Tasmania’s health, education and housing sectors remain underfunded, we simply can’t afford a billion-dollar stadium.
