The
December 2022 Deloitte Access Economics Report confirms what the Liberal
Government has been refusing to address – Tasmania is in a housing and cost of
living crisis.
Households
are contending with rising interest rates, high inflation, low consumer
confidence and negative real wage growth.
With
food prices increasing by more than 9 per cent over the past 12 months – and
staples like bread and cereals increasing by 15 per cent and dairy by 12 per
cent – people are doing it tough.
The
report also shows that key construction materials are costing above historic
levels while higher gas and electricity prices are contributing to the rise in
CPI for housing.
Tasmania
has 4500 families waiting for homes and with just 305 new homes constructed in
2022, how does the government plan to combat these costs and fast-track these
builds?
The
Liberal Government clearly has their priorities wrong.
The
Liberal Government twice voted down our legislation in Parliament last year to
cap power price increases at 2.5 per cent, which would have provided Tasmanians
with relief from soaring power costs.
Instead
of obsessing over a billion dollar stadium in Hobart, which will bleed more
money from the state’s economy, the Deloitte report should be a wakeup call to
the government that they need to start focusing on Tasmania’s real priorities
like housing, power prices and the cost of living.
Shane Broad MP
Shadow Treasurer
