Tasmania’s Business Leaders Back Labor’s Budget Plan, As Liberals Launch Election Campaign
Tasmania’s leading business group has thrown its support behind Labor’s newly unveiled budget repair strategy, just weeks before the state election. The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) praised the plan as “courageous,” urging the Liberal Party to respond with a clear alternative.
“It’s fantastically courageous for an opposition to release this kind of plan three weeks out from an election,” said TCCI CEO Michael Bailey.
“What we’re seeing from Dean Winter and Josh Willie is a serious proposal to address the state’s current budget issues.”
Labor’s fiscal strategy, announced on Saturday, pledges to save $1 billion over four years. It includes funneling all new revenue toward reducing debt, selling the state’s share in the unbuilt Marinus Link power project, and taking $100 million from the Motor Accidents Insurance Board.
With Treasury forecasting Tasmania’s debt to reach $13 billion by 2028, Bailey called the plan “carefully thought out” and urged the Liberals to present their own path to budget stability.
Labor Commits to Round Table on Budget Repair
Opposition Leader Dean Winter said that, if elected, a budget repair round table would be created, involving business, unions, and community stakeholders.
“This is a massive challenge, and it requires a serious response,” he said.
“It’s also about cutting waste—like $500 million lost on the Spirits project, and cutting unnecessary executive roles within government.”
Liberals Slam Labor’s Plan, Promise Major Health Investment
Treasurer Guy Barnett dismissed Labor’s proposal as “one giant con,” accusing the opposition of relying on false savings, outdated project cuts, and asset sales.
“They want to scrap a jointly funded project, claim savings from roles that don’t exist, and sell off state assets like Marinus Link to mainlanders,” Barnett said.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party launched its election campaign in Launceston on Sunday. Premier Jeremy Rockliff promoted the government’s economic record and unveiled a significant health pledge.
“Under the Liberals, our economy has grown by 26% over the past decade. We now have an economy valued at more than $40 billion,” he said.
As part of the campaign, Rockliff promised a new 250-bed hospital tower at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH). The $647.5 million redevelopment will include a seven-storey building starting construction in 2028, intended to “future-proof” health services in northern Tasmania.
“It means more single rooms and expanded cancer services. This is about meeting future demand and retaining valued healthcare professionals,” Rockliff said.
Mixed Reactions to Hospital Announcement
Labor’s Ella Haddad criticised the announcement, calling it a recycled promise.
“This is the same project the Liberals have been pledging for years without delivery,” she said.
Health groups cautiously welcomed the plan but raised concerns about immediate needs.
Phoebe Mansell from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation noted that the current hospital system is already overwhelmed.
“What happens between now and 2028? The LGH emergency department is in gridlock today,” she said.
AMA Tasmania President Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel added that the new hospital must be “fit for purpose” and adaptable to future growth.
“This is a critical step—but we must get it right,” he said.
Tasmanians head to the polls on Saturday, July 19.
