The 2020 federal budget last month was billed as the most important since World War II, November's Tasmanian equivalent is no less significant. And with just under two weeks until Premier and Treasurer Peter Gutwein delivers his seventh fiscal blueprint, what can we expect?
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The government last year predicted a surplus of $57.4 million and a net debt of $284.5 million by the end of the 2019-20 financial year - long before COVID-19 came along and strangled the economy - so it will be interesting to see what impact the pandemic has had on the government's ability to roll out key infrastructure projects, spending on health and investment in education.
This is not the time to contract spending.
The government has painted itself as an infrastructure messiah with a long list of promises. However, people in the industry say there appears to be a project pipeline problem which is failing to fill them with confidence. How much of what was promised at the 2018 election has been delivered?
People - including many struggling small business owners - will be looking for new announcements that will help pull Tasmania out of a recession and entice new enterprises to open up and give people the confidence to spend money.
Meaningful expenditure to solve the state's public housing crisis along with the multiple systemic issues that plague the Launceston General Hospital will be heavily scrutinised.
State and federal government support packages have cushioned the COVID blow, but predicted job losses nationwide won't skip Tasmania. The full effect won't be known until social benefits are wound back by the Morrison administration after Christmas.
Significant tax reform has been called for and the Gutwein budget must be bold in allowing private investment to thrive and assist in the recovery process.
And with a clouded national election calendar coming up, this budget may give us an indication as to whether the Premier is considering a rumoured early election or if he is happy enough to continue pushing on to get the job done.