Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Tasmanian people have benefitted in the foundational and fundamental transformation in their personal prospects, household budgets and job prospects as a result of the federal and state elections that removed Greens-Labor minority governments both here in Canberra and in Hobart, in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Removed was a dysfunctional government in Hobart that saw a dysfunctional prison system with riots. We saw a dysfunctional education system where, indeed, on one occasion the state government had slated a state school for closure, and publicly announced it, whilst at the same time the Labor government had a sign up indicating building was taking place as part of the Building the Education Revolution. So, building was actually taking place and workers were there at the Warrane school undertaking these improvements being heralded by federal Labor whilst the state Labor-Greens government was busily slating this school for closure. That was the dysfunction that the people of Tasmania suffered under the Greens-Labor minority government. The health system was sicker than the people it was seeking to treat. We now have a one-state health system. Waiting lists are lower. In the education system, we are now introducing grade 12 into the high schools so that young Tasmanians can achieve a higher educational level.

All of these things have been occurring in the last four years under a majority state Liberal government working hand in glove with the coalition government in Canberra. And who could forget the dysfunction of the Greens-Labor minority government here in Canberra? Well, you can multiply that 100-fold and look at what happened in my home state of Tasmania.

The Liberal Party, both in Canberra and Tasmania, promised the Tasmanian people that, if they were to elect us, we would seek to reboot and revitalise the Tasmanian economy, and our policies were very clearly directed to that end. We put money into irrigation schemes to breathe new life and confidence into our regional communities. From the north-east to the north-west to the Central Highlands, we were absolutely committed to seeking to enhance our agricultural prospects with infrastructure that, in turn, would lead to jobs growth and export dollars, which would bring more money into the Tasmanian community.

We promised an extension of the runway at Hobart Airport to ensure that our Antarctic possibilities could be met. Before the extension, flights departing from Hobart to the Antarctic could take only 75 per cent payload because the runway was too short. Today, the planes can leave fully laden, enhancing Tasmania's reputation to the rest of the world as a hub for Antarctic endeavour, bringing overseas money into Hobart and Tasmania, and that of course translates into employment opportunities. We have upgraded the Midland Highway, and that is an ongoing process; for those of us who travel it on a regular basis, it is a nuisance from time to time. But the short-term pain is definitely worth the long-term gain in ensuring that we have safer roads which enhance our tourism image of a welcoming state to those who seek to use the roads to get around, and, of course, for the logistics of moving goods around our state.

We promised to have a look at the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme as it applies to our exports. Being an island state, we were absolutely mugged by Labor and the Greens' manic determination to force through shipping reforms which basically meant that getting a container across Bass Strait was going to cost as much as getting it from Port Phillip to anywhere else in the world. Basically as a result of the Labor-Greens amendments to coastal shipping, international shipping no longer swung by Tasmania, requiring this transshipping. Think of that short bit of water from the north of Tasmania to Victoria. It costs just as much to get a container across that bit of water as it does to the Middle East, to the United States or to the European Union. You can understand the impost that has on our export capability in Tasmania. And what does that translate to? Difficulty in the provision of jobs for the men and women that make or provide those goods that we seek to export to the rest of the world. So as a federal government we ensured that we had an enhanced Freight Equalisation Scheme to protect those Tasmanian jobs.

There is a sense of excitement within the state of Tasmania today. There is a sense that the dysfunction of some four years ago is now behind us. My fellow Tasmanians face a decision on 3 March as to whether they go back to that dysfunction of four years ago or whether they lift Tasmania to the next level. Keep in mind that, in the four years of the majority Liberal government, 10,500 new jobs have been created. In those four years, the state has turned from recession to having some of the best, if not the best, economic indicators anywhere in the country in relation to employment growth and in relation to small business confidence. Family businesses and small businesses are now confident in investing and employing more of their fellow Tasmanians. The education system now is catering for grade 12s and encouraging our young Tasmanians to further their education. In so doing, of course, they enhance their job prospects, their employability and their capacity to also contribute to the Tasmanian economy and, most importantly, be able to stay in Tasmania and have a future in the state of their birth.

With this excitement, Madam Deputy President, comes a list of candidates that you would not believe possible. Candidates know that in the Hare-Clark system it is difficult to win a seat in circumstances where you've already got a number of excellent sitting members. Nevertheless, we have had a suite of excellent candidates seeking to put up their hand to ensure that majority Liberal government is retained in Tasmania on 3 March. I go to the electorate of Lyons, for example—the big electorate that covers the majority of the state of Tasmania. Despite having three very well-established sitting members, we have the excellent new candidates of John Tucker and Jane Howlett. In the seat of Franklin we have Simon Duffy and Claire Chandler. In the seat of Bass, with three sitting members doing good work, we have a mayor and an alderman willing to put up their hand to enhance the excellent quality of the team that is already running. So there is a new air within the state of Tasmania. In the capital city there are currently five cranes operating, bearing witness to the economic transformation and the jobs that flow from that. These are examples that cannot be denied. On the other side, what we have is a Labor Party willing to do deals with the Australian Greens and form another minority government which would bring dysfunction and unemployment back to Tasmania.

I'm excited to be in lockstep with the Tasmanian Liberal government, developing policies and delivering for the people of Tasmania that have seen the transformation. When you think that there are another 10,000 people in employment, it means 10,000 more people are off welfare and fully engaged in the socioeconomic benefits that Tasmania has to offer. I wish Premier Hodgman and his team every success on 3 March. (Time expired)