Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no greater contrast between the previous, Labor government and this Liberal-National coalition government than in the economic management of Tasmania. The previous, Labor government was an economic vandal that systematically trashed the Tasmanian economy, while this government is an economic enabler.

The stark contrast between the two governments can be seen in Tasmania's appalling economic figures when the Liberal government came to power in September 2013. Unemployment in my state was 8.3 per cent—about 10.5 per cent in Burnie and 9.8 per cent in Devonport—yet only 5.4 per cent nationally. We had the highest age dependency ratio—that is, the ratio of dependants to the working-age population—of any state or territory, and we had the lowest gross state product per capita in Australia, some 20 per cent below the national average. Under the previous, Labor governments, the cost of sending goods to the mainland and overseas skyrocketed, slamming small, medium and large businesses trying to get their product to market.

It surprised no-one that these indicators were as bad as they were. After six years of federal Labor government and over a decade of state Labor government, the last four of which were in coalition with the Greens, there was little surprise that few in the state saw any real future for themselves or their family. These two Labor governments were economic vandals that systematically sought to shut down industries and even took pride in the number of private sector job losses they facilitated—losses in forestry, mining and tourism. Tasmania was closed for business. Any business that did want to invest was scared off by treasonous Greens-backed antibusiness scare campaigns.

That was the government of economic vandalism, but this Liberal government is a business enabler, an economic enabler that is enabling the Tasmanian economy to grow and create jobs. In the past month alone, the federal government has announced over $260 million in key economic infrastructure, spending that will further enable the Tasmanian economy to grow and to restore hope in the community that there is a bright future in the state of Tasmania.

Before the election, I made a commitment to the people of Braddon that, above all, I would address the Tasmanian freight failings, and that is what I have done. Last week in north-west Tasmania I welcomed the Prime Minister to announce $203 million over four years to expand the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme to include exports. This policy is an economic enabler assisting export businesses to grow and now compete on a level playing field. I said I would deliver on freight and I have. The Liberal government has also delivered on $60 million of funding for the Tasmanian irrigation scheme strategy, which is an agriculture enabler that will do surprising things in the economy of Tasmania over the next few years. This is a government that enables business, not hinders it; that opens markets, not closes them; and that supports business, not sneers at them.