Tasmania is at risk of running out of ribbons before the next election. Having spent the last nine months mostly on the defensive and making cuts to public services, the state government is now on a spending spree. Treasurer Peter Gutwein’s second budget is full of infrastructure initiatives, with a particular focus on the North and North West. Targetting spending on bricks and mortar projects for the state’s schools looks like a way of stemming the political bleeding suffered because of cuts to teacher numbers. That the spending spree comes off the back of much stronger than expected revenue from the Commonwealth will matter little to punters. The extra cash from Canberra has given Mr Gutwein a much stronger balance sheet, and he now expects to return a surplus of around $100 million in 2016-17. Money for roads, rail and irrigation will be well-received across the North, so expect to see your local government MPs cutting all the ribbon they can get in front of them before 2018.
Tasmania is at risk of running out of ribbons before the next election.
Having spent the last nine months mostly on the defensive and making cuts to public services, the state government is now on a spending spree.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein’s second budget is full of infrastructure initiatives, with a particular focus on the North and North West.
Targetting spending on bricks and mortar projects for the state’s schools looks like a way of stemming the political bleeding suffered because of cuts to teacher numbers.
That the spending spree comes off the back of much stronger than expected revenue from the Commonwealth will matter little to punters.
The extra cash from Canberra has given Mr Gutwein a much stronger balance sheet, and he now expects to return a surplus of around $100 million in 2016-17.
Money for roads, rail and irrigation will be well-received across the North, so expect to see your local government MPs cutting all the ribbon they can get in front of them before 2018.
