Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin – Leader of the Greens) – Honourable Speaker, I thank the Premier for bringing this matter to the House. It’s important to hear that the government is starting to act in a systematic way about fuel reduction and all of the impacts that will flow across Tasmania. All the things you mentioned in your statement are important, but I noticed the language where you talk about businesses and operators, tourism, logistics companies, and consumers; all important, but consumers are people. I represent people in my community and every single person in this Chamber has people in their community who we speak to at the shops. They look at the extra $30-$50 they’re already paying and they go to the servo to fill up the standard amount they put in and they already can’t afford it, and then it’s an extra $30-$50. They add them all up, then they get a bill, then they have to pay their mortgage and the interest rates have just gone up. Or they have to pay the rent and it’s already unaffordable. For these people, there is nothing left in the tank. Nothing.
A lot of people in Tasmania live one to two hours’ drive away from their work. Surrounding Hobart, there are people who come in from the south, east and north, and they drive 30 minutes to an hour in and out every day. I can’t tell those people what to do. They say, ‘I won’t be able to afford to drive in. There isn’t a bus service that’s available. I can’t get the kids to school in my regional community and get in to work because I’m a single parent. My mum can’t afford to drive and help me because she lives 30 minutes away. That’s what she’s been doing, but she can’t do it now’.
Premier, when you and your budget paper say that you are finding millions of dollars in this financial year to pay for a stadium; you’ve made that decision. Don’t tell community sector organisations that you can’t afford to pay the extra money they need to support vulnerable Tasmanians who are really suffering. Don’t tell us and mental health organisations that you can’t afford the money to support them, and you will just give them what you gave them last year. It’s not enough. Don’t tell Tasmanians you will make those choices. You’ve made the choice to fund the stadium and a whole lot of other things. We don’t agree with them, but it’s your job to balance the books. This is where Tasmanians really want to see that, in a crisis, you
put everything else down, you look at it from the start and you think, ‘Okay, who do I have to look after first?’ I am telling you that should be community sector organisations, Neighbourhood Houses, all of the groups in the community who are helping people. Also, the bus service. We want to see a plan from your minister for how you’re going to get the drivers needed to increase the services and put the routes back on because they haven’t been there for years since you cut them and didn’t prioritise them. Unless we’ve got a bus service, how are people going to be able to get to work when they can’t afford to put petrol in their car, which is only a matter of a week away or less? Thank you for this. It’s not enough. We look forward to hearing how you’re going to respond to those other issues as well.
