On behalf of the Tasmanian Greens, I can confirm reports from today’s Mercury that we have withdrawn from the Rockliff Government’s Multi-Partisan Budget Consultation Panel.
The Greens agreed to participate in the Budget Consultation Panel because we believed it could be an opportunity for MPs from across the Parliament to collaborate on achieving positive outcomes for Tasmania and its people. As the panel‘s name makes clear, the clear promise to MPs joining the process was that it would be about consultation. Unfortunately that’s not been the reality – far from it.
Treasurer Eric Abetz and the Liberals have shown they have no interest in using this panel as a forum for genuine budget input. In fact, it’s been a one way street. The government has been making major budget decisions without notifying panel members, and even resisting basic requests for important topics to be placed on the panel‘s agenda for discussion.
While through the initial stages of the panel there were useful briefings provided to members, over time we saw information drying up, with key questions put by the Greens left unanswered.
The government’s’ dismissive attitude through this process made it clear this so-called Consultation Panel is not about consultation at all – it is about politics. The Liberals only want the crossbench involved so they can share the blame for the brutal budget cuts Treasurer Eric Abetz is planning.
Evidence from Treasury, from independent economists, and from ratings agencies has been clear – the government’s approach into the budget has put Tasmania on a road to constant deficits and ballooning debt. But rather than meaningfully engaging with the crossbench on a new way forward, all we are seeing is more of the same.
Despite the budget crisis, the Rockliff Government is forging ahead with hugely costly projects like the stadium and Marinus Link. And at the same time they are ruling out bringing in important new sources of revenue, instead choosing to cut thousands of public sector jobs.
The Greens remain committed to working constructively and collaboratively across the Parliament to achieve positive outcomes for Tasmania and its people. However, we will not let the Liberals get away with using what has become a shallow process as political cover for their deeply misguided and unpopular budget decisions.
