Or are they trying to plug a relatively small hole in the massive federal budget with a myriad of small savings.

The calls for a boost to the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme, to give free travel for cars to the state, have come thick and fast for a number of months.

For many in the tourism sector, it could be a game changer. It's particularly important for people in regions like the Northern Tasmania, which tend to fare better from the visitors who come with their own cars.

These are tourism businesses which have been hit hard by the shutdown of interstate visitation due to the pandemic.

Labor leader Rebecca White is right when she says it may also help to reduce the impact of a lack of hire cars in Tasmania, which has seen some potential visitors cancelling their plans to come to the state because they can't get around.

The chance for an "overseas" holiday in Tasmania would be appealing for many.

And the chance to bring the car for free may be just the incentive they need.

Otherwise, the many thousands of people in Victoria itching for a getaway after many months of restrictions are more likely to look north or west for their trip.

Somewhere in the federal coffers would be a fairly decent little nest egg with the funds saved from very little passenger vehicle travel during the middle of this year.

A signal prior to summer would have been ideal, and given people the chance to book something looking into the New Year.

It would also have allowed the Spirit operators TT-Line to look at scheduling some more sailings, and potentially further increasing the visitation to Tasmania.

If our federal leaders delay much longer the industry will have missed a chance to put a few dollars in the bank ahead of next winter.

Premier Peter Gutwein and those ministers who have a connection with tourism need to get moving on lobbying for this to happen as a matter of urgency.