David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tasmania four years ago was a very different place to what it is today. After 16 years of continuous Labor and Labor-Greens governments, Tasmanians were living in a state that was bouncing along the bottom of just about any social or economic metric that mattered. As you would appreciate, Mr President, there is an intricate relationship between economic performance and social outcomes. Whether it be in employment opportunities—or rather the lack of them—educational achievements, hospital waiting lists or just about any other measure, Tasmania was at the bottom or very close in just about any area that matters. This wasn't just an interesting series of unfortunate facts. As you would appreciate, it delivered challenges and poor outcomes for Tasmanians. It impacted in real, practical ways on their lives and on their equality and their standard of living.

But Tasmania today is a very different place to what it was four years ago. Although, as noted by the Premier, Will Hodgman, at the launch of the Liberal Party campaign on Sunday, not all Tasmanians have yet to personally feel the benefits of the change, Tasmania today is at the middle or even better in all the same metrics in which it languished near the bottom just four years ago. Again, this is important because these metrics measure real impacts on people's lives—their ability to provide for their families; to house, feed and clothe them; to become better educated; and to enjoy better health and other care when it is needed.

This turnaround has not happened by chance, and it has not happened due to extraneous factors outside the Hodgman Liberal government's efforts. On the contrary, it has happened because the Hodgman Liberal government understands that the best way to provide real opportunity for Tasmanians is to deliver a regulatory environment and make decisions which foster business confidence and community confidence, encourage sensible investment and development, and invigorate a feeling of self-worth and desire for individual achievement. The way it has governed since winning in 2014 has reflected this approach. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

On 3 March, Tasmanians will have an important decision to make. The choice is stark. Tasmania can continue in the positive direction that we're heading under a majority Hodgman Liberal government or return to the dark old days of a Labor-Greens minority government. Make no mistake: there are realistically only two possible outcomes on 3 March. One is that neither party wins a majority. In this case, past form shows that the two left-wing parties, Labor and the Greens, will form a coalition to govern. Contrary to spin put out there, the Liberal Party has never entered into any form of coalition with the Greens in order to form a government in Tasmania, and it never will.

The only other option to neither of the two major parties getting a majority is a majority Liberal government. This is because the number of seats that Labor needs to win to achieve majority in Tasmania is not achievable even on the face of the most favourable polls. As such, if Tasmanian voters who remain unsure of who to vote for want a majority government—and can I say that all Tasmanians should want a majority government—the only option is to vote Liberal.

So how has Tasmania improved since the election of the majority Hodgman Liberal government? Aside from being a prouder state than we were four years ago, Tasmania now ranks as having the highest business confidence in Australia. Tasmania now has the lowest elective surgery waiting list in the state's history. I think that's worth repeating: the lowest elective surgery waiting list ever in Tasmania.

Under former health minister Michelle O'Byrne 287 nurses were cut, ward 4D in Launceston was shut and $500 million was ripped from the health system. When it comes to health, Labor's track record speaks for itself in Tasmania: it's broken, and it's hypocritical. Will Hodgman's Liberal team has a plan to make the largest single additional investment ever in Tasmania's health system—a record $757 million injection. This commitment is only possible because of the hard work that the Hodgman Liberal government has done to rebalance the books. Will Hodgman's health policy will deliver 298 new beds across the state, which is an increase of 20 per cent. It will deliver 1,332 new staff comprising 832 new nurses, 158 new doctors, 128 new allied health professionals and 182 new operational staff. Even if we ignore Labor's record on health cuts from when they were last in government, what they are promising doesn't match what the Liberals are promising moving forward. Liberals will invest $757 million to Labor's $563 million. Even on health, the Liberals are beating Labor hands down.

Senate adjourned at 19 : 50