2022-03-30
The Greens have slammed the Morrison Government for using the budget for cynical electioneering purposes, while simultaneously destroying what makes lutruwita/Tasmania unique.
Quotes attributable to Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:
“This is an election Budget for the next 6 weeks, designed by the Morrison Government to buy and bribe its way back into office. There is no plan, no vision for Tasmania.
“Sadly, the environment and climate are the big losers in this budget.
“This Government has spent the last term of parliament trying to remove our federal environment laws and hand back powers to the states. Now it’s putting millions into deregulating and fast-tracking our environmental regulation process - in short, scrapping environmental laws by stealth.
“Mark my words, this will be bad for Tasmania and will lead to more environmental conflict, destruction and exploitation of our wild and special places, which is the last thing our state needs.
“There appears to be no critical funding for Tasmania’s Antarctic Gateway science programs, nor for protecting the Southern Ocean and the Great Southern Reef.
“The Great Barrier Reef again gets billions in Budget funding for “reef adaption” measures to combat climate change and invasive species, but Tasmania’s Great Southern Reef - which is critically important to our communities and fishing industry and faces equally critical threats - doesn’t get a cent.
“Ultimately it’s a budget full of sugar hits and band-aid solutions - both of which are bad for the long-term health of Tasmania.
“Tasmanians being wooed by “big ticket” infrastructure measures would do well to remember it's not budget benevolence that’s motivated the Government to spend big on Tasmanian infrastructure projects - it’s a track-record of budget blowouts.
“Budget blowouts rip money away from other essential services, like getting dental and mental health into Medicare, ensuring everyone has a liveable income and roof over their head.
“What this Budget shows clearly is that we need to kick the Liberals out and get the Greens in balance of power to push the next Government to tackle the climate crisis and cost of living pressures by taxing the billionaires.”