The Gutwein Government's mid-year budget report has confirmed a reliance on an surprise uplift in GST revenue and the narrow benefits of a residential building stimulus while the only aspect under its control - a much-hyped building program - is hopelessly behind and failing.
Shadow Treasurer David O'Byrne said Premier Peter Gutwein and his Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson need to provide Tasmanians with regular, comprehensive updates on their deeply flawed promise to deliver $1 billion in building projects a year as their program already falls dangerously behind schedule.
Shadow Treasurer David O'Byrne said the delivery of the much-hyped infrastructure program is nearly $600 million behind schedule and an extraordinary 60 infrastructure projects are now behind schedule, some by up to three years.
"This is a government which has hung its hat on taking Tasmania out of the COVID pandemic by building $1 billion in projects each year and now Mr Gutwein and Mr Ferguson have to show Tasmanians they are capable of delivery," Mr O'Byrne said.
"It's very, very telling that the program is nearly $600 million behind schedule and additionally, over the last four Budget years, the Liberals will have underspent on infrastructure by nearly $1 billion.
"Since this government has placed each of its eggs in one basket with such a one-dimensional, tunnel vision plan that the state's economic recovery will be based on building alone, they now have to prove they can deliver.
"But with the former failed Health Minister in charge, Tasmanians can have little confidence.
"The simple truth is if your one strategy is to build and you cannot build it means you have no strategy.
"Tasmanians need better than this and only Labor's fully costed Jobs Plan which will deliver 35,000 jobs, lower unemployment and higher economic growth."
David O'Byrne MP
Shadow Treasurer
