Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
[10.12 a.m.]
Your decision to respond to the rapidly rising costs of living by making public transport free until July was very welcome. Thank you. We’re also grateful that you heeded our calls for an immediate injection of funding for the community sector. But I’m sure all of us are hearing so many people in our community are at a breaking point with the price of everything going up. Experts say that, even under best case scenarios, massively high fuel costs will continue for many, many months, and who knows what Donald Trump will do next. Tasmanians know your government can’t fix everything, but they expect you to do everything you can. Given the precarious situation thousands of Tasmanians are living in, will you consider taking a leaf out of your predecessor’s book by freezing rents and protecting tenants from eviction without cause until this crisis ends?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the honourable member for the question and the reasonable way that it was asked. I thank you for the acknowledgment about free public transport, which remains available until 1 July this year, noting Victoria are coming up to their one-month, I believe. That’s for Premier Allan to decide whether they will extend that, as Tasmania has done. I’m very pleased to be able to advocate very strongly for the reduction in fuel excise as well, some $0.26 a litre and, also, of course, GST relief as well. The investment we’re making in public transport is important. The honourable member, the Infrastructure minister, was out yesterday a 30 per cent increase in that modal shift, if I can call it that, as a result of, firstly, Tasmanians wanting to better utilise fuel resources sensibly and in a measured way, but also taking advantage of a key cost of living measure as well.
I’ll have to reacquaint myself with some of the measures that were initiated, when it comes to the COVID times. I have no plans to do what you say or ask, and I doubt that will be the case. I’m more than happy to look further at that and exactly what’s behind your question. But I have no plans to put caps on rent.
