The Gutwein Government and incompetent State Growth Minister Michael Ferguson are on track to chronically under-deliver on their promise to Tasmanians to build $1 billion in infrastructure each year for five years.
Shadow Treasurer David O’Byrne said by telling Tasmanians they were going to build the state’s way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liberals were in fact promising to build a house of cards.
“The recent mid-year Budget update shows this government had delivered less than 20 per cent of this year’s infrastructure budget by December last year,” Mr O’Byrne said.
“In addition, there was over $200 million of under-delivery the year before.
“Based on that pitiful track record, both Premier Gutwein and Minister Ferguson fully comprehend that it is not only unlikely but almost a certainty that more than half of this year’s infrastructure budget will not be delivered.
“Today in question time Minister Ferguson failed to explain why 64 key projects were behind schedule with many delayed by more than three years.
“That’s a total of about $600 million and would mean over $1 billion of promised infrastructure has not been delivered since the last election.
“The only upside to this litany of broken promises is that Tasmania’s record debt will be $1 billion lower.
“The Liberals know that their track record on building over seven long years of this government has been characterised by incompetence and lack of delivery.
“All they have left now is spin, not delivery, because they cannot explain why their infrastructure program is so chronically behind schedule. They cannot explain how they plan to deliver 25,000 jobs with spending that is not being delivered.
“In contrast, Labor’s Jobs Plan outlines a clear, fully-costed policy to reverse the Liberal cuts and rebuild Tasmania’s capacity to deliver infrastructure.”
David O’Byrne MP
Shadow Treasurer
