Mr BAYLEY question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Your state of the state speech might have been listless in delivery, but it announced a dramatic lurch to the right for you and your government. We all know where that comes from. One key new plank of your hard right agenda is privatisation of public entities. The Greens are fundamentally opposed to privatisation because it will mean higher prices and poorer outcomes for people. We will fight you every step of the way.
Yesterday, you revealed you are considering selling off particular entities like Metro, TasNetworks and MAIB, but there was only one you ruled out altogether, Hydro. Is Hydro the only GBE or state-owned company that is fully off the table, or are there others that you can today, here, categorically rule out?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for the question. Hydro is the sacred cow. I am not ruling anything in or out. Why would I?
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – I ask members to be quiet to hear the answer.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We will examine every single GBE and whether it is best to keep it in government ownership or sell that asset and invest into a future fund.
You can scare all the people you like and talk about politics and all sorts of things. Do you think people actually care about your view in the bubble of this Chamber?
Dr Broad – I think they do.
The SPEAKER – Order, shadow attorney-general.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I do not think so. What people care about are jobs for the future and ‑
Dr Woodruff – We represent people, Premier.
The SPEAKER – Order, Leader of the Greens, it was not your question. The Deputy Leader would like to hear the answer.
Mr ROCKLIFF – This is what the tradies care about.
Ms Haddad – They care about their rego costs too.
The SPEAKER – Order, member for Clark.
Mr ROCKLIFF – This is what people who go to work every single day to put food on the table care about it. They care about the future of their state and the state that their children will inherit. We want to ensure that we provide for our children a sustainable budget moving forward, where we have the right investments in public ownership and where there is competition with the private sector and the private sector can deliver better services. If we can offload that asset into a future fund for the future, then that should be considered.
I accept your view will not change irrespective of the good arguments that we may well present. It is sensible and prudent to do this work.
Mr Shelton interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order, member for Lyons on my right.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Yesterday’s announcement was about slashing red tape, about providing a business environment of which we can continue to grow as a state and employ Tasmanians. It was about sensibly outlining a plan for a public service that is the right size to deliver better quality services, but also sensibly in a measured way looking at what assets we can examine that can best be in public hands for the future and/or offloaded to support a future fund and better service delivery.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Mr BAYLEY – Can I have a supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Mr BAYLEY – Can the Premier confirm that every single GBE except Hydro is on the table? Will he decide which ones or will there be a process on which ones are best kept in government hands versus privatised? What are the criteria against which those decisions and that assessment will be made?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I missed the last bit of the question.
Mr BAYLEY – What are the criteria against which the evaluation of each and every GBE except Hydro will be made? What will be the basis of the decision, the recommendation, you bring back to parliament?
The SPEAKER – It is a question that can be allowed because it arises from the process that the Premier spoke of in his answer. As to how much information he can give, the Premier will address what he can.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Can I assure you, Mr Bayley, that given the level of discussion in the community, and the wide range of opinions of what I outlined yesterday in my plan for the future, it is important to bring Tasmanians with us and bring this parliament with us. The best way to do that is to ensure that the main driver and the main criteria is that it is in the best interests of Tasmanians. There will be terms of reference and criteria in terms of Mr Eslake’s work, alongside Treasury, of course, about the criteria for the decisions we have to make, but they will be all open and transparent to ensure that Tasmanians are engaged in this conversation.
What I ask of this parliament, and I do not expect it from yourself necessarily –
The SPEAKER – The Premier’s time for answering the supplementary question has expired.
