The dust may not have settled on the federal election just yet, but already questions are being asked of the soon-to-be-installed federal government regarding its pledges to Tasmania.
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In what will be an unusual situation for some Tasmanian electorates, the next federal government will have no lower house representatives in Tasmania.
It’s certainly not an enviable situation for the state – four Labor MHRs with a federal Liberal government. There could be some difficult times ahead.
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz took to the airwaves yesterday to pledge his party’s commitment to every promise made during the hard-fought election campaign in Tasmania.
“Our promises are there for everybody to see and of course they will be implemented,” Senator Abetz told ABC radio.
The delivery of those promises – and there were plenty – to Northern Tasmania is imperative. The UTAS relocation funding, money for silt raking, new CCTV systems in the CBD in Launceston as well as a number of other regions, and $7.5 million funding for the City Heart project to name but a few.
Senator Abetz’s response follows claims by former Braddon Liberal MHR Chris Miles, who said a returned Coalition government would not be obliged to fulfill their election promises because they had been rejected by Tasmanian voters.
Mr Miles said the pressure would be on Tasmania’s three newly elected Labor MHRs Justine Keay, Brian Mitchell and Ross Hart to fight for those promises to be delivered.
However, it’s difficult to see why the Coaltion would reneg on their promises. To do so would be akin to political suicide. Such a move would do untold damage to their reputation and brand in Tasmania and any trust they did have with voters would be instantly erased.
With a state election due some time before early 2018, it’s also in the best interests of the state Liberal government, which would be particularly keen to see the University of Tasmania relocation take place, as well as a raft of other funding pledges made during the campaign.
Malcolm Turnbull and his Tasmanian Senate team need to be reminded of their responsibilities.
The $150 million for UTAS alone will create hundreds of jobs alone at a time when unemployment in Northern Tasmania is much higher than other parts of the state.
