Jeremy Rockliff might be Premier in name, but his State of the State speech has made it obvious that it’s Eric Abetz and his radical right-wing friends now pulling the strings in the Tasmanian government.
The State of the State is usually where we see Premiers outline their positive vision for the year ahead. Instead, Jeremy Rockliff used it to officially announce his government’s huge lurch to the political right.
Make no mistake, what the Premier has announced is a radical right-wing agenda. Cuts to the public sector, privatisation of public services and assets, and giving corporations and industry free rein are all straight out of the neoconservative playbook.
So shameless is this ideological shift, Jeremy Rockliff was happy to directly reference Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump’s language – that “people want government out of their lives.” That’s not true. Tasmanians want an ambulance when they need one, a safe and secure place to call home, reliable bus services, and schools that give every child the chance of a bright future.
The Premier had the gall to say again today he is leading a government with heart. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is all about a destructive right-wing agenda, and a red carpet for corporations and special interests.
The Greens are fundamentally opposed to the disturbing agenda the Liberals have laid out, and we will be fighting tooth and nail to make sure they do not get their way.
We call on all other members of Parliament to stand with us.
