Tasmanians are heading into yet another budget cycle with serious doubts hanging over Treasurer Barnett’s credibility – and for good reason.

In his first mini budget, the Revised Estimates Report, Treasurer Barnett managed to blow out the deficit by nearly half a billion dollars and add another billion dollars to the state’s debt.

He now faces another test that his predecessor, who was famously dubbed the worst Treasurer we’ve ever had, failed – delivering an honest budget.

Last year, Michael Ferguson outrageously projected that government expenditure would reduce for the first time in 20 years in the 2024-25 budget* - despite the fact expenses grew by an average of 11.7 per cent in the three years prior.

Just four months after that budget received Royal Assent, the Liberals had to ask the Parliament for another half a billion dollars through a supplementary appropriation bill – that’s almost $4 million a day worth of spending blowouts - proving that the budget numbers simply weren’t worth the paper they were printed on.

Treasurer Barnett must give Tasmanians a clear, unequivocal commitment that the Liberals won’t try and fudge the forecasting again – or he risks repeating the same cycle of fiscal chaos and debt that is harming business confidence throughout the state.

The results of having the Liberals in charge for 11 years speak for themselves. Tasmania’s finances have never been worse, and they've shredded any budget management credibility they once had. 

Josh Willie MP
Shadow Treasurer

*General Government Sector Expenditure