'Ready for anything': Labor looks ahead to state election

Speaking to the media in Hobart today, Ms White said she believed whichever of the two major parties proposed the best response to Tasmania's economic challenges would be victorious at the election, which is due by March 2022.

"I have no doubt that there's every chance there could be an election later this year," she said. "We're ready if that's the case."

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"This year is going to be a massive year. And the economic challenges and the impacts of coronavirus will be the most important thing for all of us to tackle.

"And I believe that whichever party demonstrates the best response to the economic challenges will be rewarded at the polls."

Mr Gutwein ruled out calling an early election when he was questioned on the possibility in September last year.

In an EMRS poll of 1000 voters in December, Ms White's preferred premier rating was at just 26 per cent, while the Premier's was at 61 per cent. Of the decided voters polled, 52 per cent said they would be voting for the Liberals and 25 per cent said they would be backing Labor.

Ms White said Labor had a "big agenda" for the year ahead - including the party's jobs plan, which she said would help create 35,000 jobs - and would be announcing a fully costed suite of policies in the lead-up to the election.

"There's no doubt that last year was dominated by coronavirus and we've already started this year where it's been a prominent feature of our headlines and in people's lounge rooms," she said. "But there are a number of other issues confronting our state that the government needs to focus on."

"The fact that our unemployment rate is the highest in the country, our elective surgery waiting lists are the worst they've ever been, public housing waiting lists are too long, we've got some of the poorest education outcomes for Tasmanian students - we need to address all of these things and the government can't take its eye off the ball and just focus on coronavirus, because there are other serious matters that require the government's attention."

"While the government's only focused on one thing, we're thinking about all of those things that affect Tasmanians' lives."

Acting Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the 2020-21 state budget included record spending on health, education and training, while $300 million was being invested into new housing and homelessness initiatives.

"The Tasmanian Liberal government already has a plan to rebuild a stronger Tasmania, through its record $5 billion job-creating infrastructure investment," he said.

"The best way to get our budget back on track, grow business confidence and create jobs is to grow the economy, which is exactly what we are doing."

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