Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Monday 1st March 2010

What will a Labor-Green Government cost?

Much has been made of the cost of each party’s election commitments. However, let’s be clear: only the Liberals can achieve majority government.

A vote for Labor or the Greens is a vote for David Bartlett to struggle on as Premier of a Labor-Green Government.

While Labor has already committed $330 million the Greens don’t even know how much their promises will cost, although it is estimated they could cost as much as $450 million.

All up, that’s nearly $800 million in commitments.

Tasmanians literally can’t afford a minority government, because not only will taxpayers have to pay for Labor’s promises, they will have to pay for the Greens’ as well.

So a minority Labor-Green Government will either push Tasmania back into debt, or Labor and the Greens will have to dump many of their policies.

David Bartlett and Nick McKim must tell Tasmanians which of their policies are ‘core’ policies and which are ‘non-core’ policies.

For example, will Nick McKim let David Bartlett spend $6.5 million on supporting Tasmania’s forestry industry?

Will David Bartlett support Nick McKim’s policies on royalties for regions or the uncosted plan to abolish pokies?

Every time Labor or the Greens make a promise, Tasmanians can rightly ask if the other partner in a Labor-Green accord will actually support it.

The real choice on election day is between a Hodgman Liberal Majority Government that will deliver real change, or a Labor-Green government that will not deliver on their promises.