- Two years of recession
The most important State Budget since World War II has delivered no vision for the State in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shadow Treasurer David O'Byrne said the 2020-21 State Budget did not deliver a plan for jobs, with unemployment set to spike to 8.5 per cent.
"There is nothing in this budget that reflects the magnitude of the crisis we have been through over the past 12 months," Mr O'Byrne said.
"This was the opportunity to be visionary but Peter Gutwein failed to rise to the challenge.
"What this budget does deliver is unrealistic predictions for future surpluses and rehashed infrastructure promises Tasmanians have heard before but never seen delivered.
"Every year Peter Gutwein has promised record infrastructure spending and every year he has failed to deliver.
"This is just more of the same from Peter Gutwein and, once again, it leaves Tasmanians behind."
Mr O'Byrne said, alarmingly, the Budget places Tasmania's post-COVID recovery in the hands of failed former Health Minister Michael Ferguson, the widely acknowledged wrecker of the state's hospital system.
"Instead of demonstrating vision and forward thinking in the wake of COVID, all Tasmanians have been delivered is a re-run of promises that have already failed."
David O'Byrne MP
Shadow Treasurer
