Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week in the Tasmanian parliament illustrates in stark relief why a change in government in my home state cannot come quickly enough—a Liberal health and hospital ambulance ramping crisis, a Liberal schools crisis, a Liberal housing and homelessness crisis, a Liberal public transport crisis, and now, completely tipping the scale, the latest in a long line of Liberal integrity scandals. This week, disturbing evidence has been presented of serious irregularities in Tasmania's harness racing industry, with the Liberal Premier and his accident-prone minister asleep at the wheel and the racing director, a former Liberal staffer mired in controversy. The Mercury newspaper reported, David Killick, wrote a brilliant column yesterday outlining the path the Liberal spin doctors will undoubtedly take in trying to deflect and delay. I encourage all to read it.

I can't help but compare the failures of the Liberal Premier with the strength and unwavering leadership of the Tasmanian Labor leader, Rebecca White. Rebecca White is a tireless defender of the public interest, standing up every day for better health services, better schools, lower power prices and integrity in government. She knows it takes guts to lead and she has what it takes. Tasmanians go to the polls in two years. It's time to throw out a tired and incompetent Liberal government, mired in controversy and elect a Rebecca White Labor government.