Shadow Treasurer David O’Byrne said the Treasurer’s Annual Report 2018-19 confirmed Peter Gutwein’s budget management was going from bad to worse.
“Another week and another piece of bad news about the state of Tasmania’s finances under Will Hodgman,” Mr O’Byrne said.
“After plunging Tasmania into over $1 billion of debt- despite a promise not to- and after Treasury revealed Tasmania is on a path to $30 billion of debt, this week the Treasurer was forced to write-down his ‘Golden Age’ budget by almost $100 million.
“If it wasn’t for the fact the Government delayed $129 million of infrastructure projects, including to roads, schools and public housing, the budget would be deep in deficit.
“And despite thousands of Tasmanians being homeless, sleeping rough or couch surfing, Peter Gutwein has chosen to bank $16 million of savings from affordable housing.
“Peter Gutwein’s house of cards budget management is built on rash assumptions and a bunch of delayed projects, and today it collapsed around him.”
David O’Byrne
Shadow Treasurer
