Nic Street,Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly
With the 50th Parliament resuming tomorrow, the Rockliff Liberal Government continues to get on with the job of delivering our strong Plan and working hard on the issues that matter to all Tasmanians.
I'm proud and energised to enter the Parliament as the new Leader of the House with our new Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who will lead a Government with integrity, and one that is courageous, accountable, delivers on our commitments and, above all, is a Government with heart.
Since the Parliament last sat, the Government has been busy delivering key initiatives to improve the lives of Tasmanians.
This includes:
* Investing to make Bell Bay a national green hydrogen hub, in partnership with our Federal Coalition colleagues
* Increasing police numbers with 40 new recruits
* Securing the future of around 600 local jobs at Nyrstar, in partnership with our Federal Coalition colleagues
* Boosting our ambulance services and paramedics
* Bolstering assistance for women and children escaping family and sexual violence
* Delivering more water for landowners through the 24,500-megalitre Tamar Irrigation Scheme
Importantly, there will be no lost sitting days because we have added extra days in September, as we said we would.
The Government has a strong agenda in both houses of Parliament including important legislation dealing with the economy, changes to land tax and duties to deliver our foreign investor surcharge commitment, Criminal Code amendments, stronger workplace protections, driver distraction and speed enforcement, and our family violence and youth searches reforms.
We will also be introducing validating legislation that seeks to resolve a highly technical administrative matter relating to the issuing of a delegation made under the Forest Practices Act 1985. It does not relate to the safety or appropriateness of forestry operations undertaken on-ground. To remove doubt, and to provide certainty to Tasmania's sustainable forestry sector, which supports thousands of direct and indirect jobs, the Government is taking this action as soon as we can this week.
I welcome to the Parliament and look forward to working with the newly-elected Liberal Member for Bass, Simon Wood, as we continue deliver for all Tasmanians as a strong and united majority Liberal team.
