PREMIER Will Hodgman says his government will probably not be able to deliver everything it had planned.
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Mr Hodgman said his government was still committed to each of its election promises, but admitted that political realities could get in the way.
‘‘Will we deliver each and everything that we want in the way we want? Probably not,’’ he told The Examiner.
‘‘But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a clear vision for the state’s future.’’
The comments contrast starkly with a State of the State address at the end of October, when Mr Hodgman pledged not to abandon policies because it would undermine his government’s plan for the state.
‘‘It’s a plan that includes some tough decisions, which we have needed to make,’’ he said at the time.
‘‘Not all our decisions will be popular, but we will make decisions, and stick by them.’’
However, Mr Hodgman said there had not been a change in his government’s style.
‘‘No government’s perfect, no government has all the answers and I’ve consistently said that,’’ he said.
Referring to the government’s decision not to proceed with a controversial reintroduction of corporate defamation laws, Mr Hodgman said his government had heard the clear message from the public.
’’ I think that it’s a sensible approach to understand what’s possible, to consult, to listen,’’ he said.
‘‘But when it’s not possible to progress things as you’d like, to remain focused on what you can deliver.’’
He said education reform was a major tenet of the government’s agenda for 2015, but said he didn’t think cutting school staff had dented his credibility on the issue.
‘‘It’s critical reform that needs to happen contemporaneously. We’ve got a fundamental commitment to fix the budget, which is happening,’’ he said.
‘‘If we don’t do it, we won’t be able to invest in education.
‘‘Improving our educational outcomes will occur and has to occur, but it needs to occur against a backdrop of fixing the budget. We have to do both.’’
Mr Hodgman said last year’s federal budget was ‘‘not a great start to the relationship’’ with the Commonwealth, and said he would push for greater consultation ahead of the next budget.
‘‘I certainly don’t expect to be blind-sided like we were last year,’’ he said.
‘‘It was unfair and quite disruptive ... there were decisions made unilaterally that have impacted on services in Tasmania.
‘‘I don’t for a minute think that we shouldn’t have a discussion nationally about how we can better operate our federation ... but it needs to be a two-way discussion, not a one-way bolt from the blue.’’
However, he said the recent announcement of five major irrigation schemes, to be funded by both governments and the private sector, showed that Canberra was often willing to work with Hobart.
Mr Hodgman will deliver a State of the State address on Tuesday, in which he will outline the government’s plan for consolidation during 2015.