Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This budget is truly an underwhelming document, filled with promises that have no realistic chance of delivery. It's has been called the budget of nondeliverables, and I think it's a budget synonymous with the movie Deliverance. It's an absolute horror show of empty promises. Does this government really believe that Tasmanians are going to be so gullible to believe that $322 million is going to be delivered in infrastructure spending in Tasmania over an eight-year period? Well, they won't, because they know that not even a quarter of that is going to be delivered before 2025. This is a budget that is on the never-never. It is big on promises, empty on delivery, just like the two previous Morrison-Frydenberg budgets.

If you look at the detail of infrastructure spending in Tasmania, you see that Tasmania can expect to get only $96.2 million over the forward estimates or the next four years. That means that Tasmania will see only $4 million of this infrastructure spend in 2021-22. I can't believe that they realistically think we are that gullible. They will follow this up with $17.2 million in 2022-23, $20.3 million in 2023-24 and, as I said, if these people are still in government by 2024-25, there is an extra $55.7 million. That, as we know, is tricky accounting. It's drip-feeding taxpayers' money into much-needed infrastructure in Tasmania.

This is a budget of smoke and mirrors, nothing more, from the spin doctor himself. Those opposite want to hold onto taxpayers' money instead of spending it, and yet this is after Mr Morrison has said on many occasions that it's the people's money. If that really is the case—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 2 pm, we will move to questions without notice.