Prime Minister Scott Morrison continually referred to Australia's economy as the "foundation" of the country in an address to the Tasmanian state Liberal council in Devonport.
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Speaking at Devonport's paranaple centre, where the council is taking place across the weekend, Mr Morrison said Australia's economy had continued to grow for 29 years straight.
"A strong economy is the foundation for everything else... but it is not an end in itself," Mr Morrison said.
"We don't look at the economy as some runs on a board. We see it as a means to lifting the living standards of Australians... [we see it as ]not being about numbers, but being about people."
Mr Morrison went on to outline the federal government's May election commitments to Tasmania, including funding commitments to the health system and the battery of the nation project.
Mr Morrison said his government has faced serious scrutiny and commentary over the budget's performance since the election but said "[globally] we are punching well, well, well above our weight."
He also took the opportunity to berate Labor for what he said was previous "financial mismanagement".
"You don't value something you don't work for, you haven't earned," Mr Morrison said.
"This is why Labor finds it so easy to spend your money... and they're always happy to take more of it."
Mr Morrison also berated Labor's management of natural disasters, such as the Brisbane floods of 2010, and said his government will continue to manage similar events through sound financial management.
He also said his government, through Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, was working to address rural Australia's ongoing drought crisis.