Liberal Party rejects matching Labor's $25 million seed funding for AFL team in Tasmania, saying the party has other priorities

Tasmanian Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck said Labor's promise would provide funding to "one of the richest sporting organisations in the country", and believed the AFL should fund the team itself like it has done on the Gold Coast and in Western Sydney.

"The Liberals' priority here in Tasmania is for essential services," he said.

"This is the choice that Tasmanians have: Do you want a government that's going to prioritise the things that you want - health - or do you want a government lead by Bill Shorten who talks about fairness who then wants to give your money to the AFL, one of the richest sporting organisations in Australia?"

In depth: Read Caroline Wilson's 2019 analysis on the turning tide for a Tasmanian AFL team

Mr Colbeck said the Liberal Party would outline how it would propose to improve Tasmania's health system later in the election campaign.

Labor's funding promise was subject to a business case, dependent upon the business community and sponsors backing a Tasmanian AFL team. It also included a funding promise to "grassroots" facilities, but Mr Colbeck said the Liberal government had already been supporting facilities with grant funding.

More on the push for a Tasmanian AFL team:

Bass Labor MHR Ross Hart said federal government cuts to health had resulted in longer waits for urgent operations in Tasmania, and promised that Labor would increase funding.

"We know patients are being forced into agonising waits to be seen, and waiting too long to receive urgent operations, resulting in tragic outcomes that the Liberals cuts are directly responsible for," he said.

"We will deliver more beds, more healthcare workers and reduce waiting lists. We can do this because we will close tax loopholes used by the top end of town."