Rosalie Woodruff MP, Tasmanian Greens Leader
The Rockliff Government has delivered a budget that begins an era of stadium austerity. This interim budget already contains wide-ranging cuts to essential services, but Treasurer Eric Abetz has flagged he will be more brutal next year.
This is frightening news for community and public services, already confronting rising costs and increasing need among struggling Tasmanians. They can’t do more with less, and Treasurer Abetz’s cuts will mean less services for Tasmanians.
The Liberals are choosing to build a stadium over the needs of everyday Tasmanians, and Labor have given their unconditional support. Anyone can see their priorities are plain wrong. The Parliament can still stop them in their tracks, and the Greens will be making sure all MPs understand the human cost of choosing to fund a stadium instead of essential services.
Cassy O’Connor MLC, Member for Hobart
The public housing waitlist is growing. Elective surgeries are being cancelled every day. Tasmanians are going hungry. We need more funding for essential services – not less. But that’s just what the Liberal Government are doing, all to build a stadium.
And it’s only going to get worse, according to Treasurer Eric Abetz. Public and community services are going to be bled dry to fill the stadium-sized hole in the state budget.
For MLCs still undecided on the stadium, there is a clear choice. They can support the stadium and consign the state to an era of austerity as a result. Or they can stop the stadium and help save Tasmanian services from the worst of the Liberals’ planned cuts.
