Will Hodgman

Today I released our first Future Directions statement outlining the Liberals’ vision and plans for a self-reliant Tasmania.

Under Labor and the Greens Tasmania is becoming known as the mendicant state, always looking for hand-outs, and bail-outs.

The Liberal vision is for a proudly self-reliant Tasmania, where we grow our economy and generate wealth so that we can properly fund essential services like health, education and public safety.

As the first Future Directions Statement outlines, we will achieve this by valuing and supporting our cornerstone industries such as mining and forestry – not shutting them down as Labor and the Greens are doing.

We will put up the open for business sign by introducing a single state-wide planning scheme, and abolishing frivolous third-party appeals.

We will create a job-ready generation, by taking High Schools to Year 12.

And we will make Tasmania the most competitive place in Australia to do business by introducing full retail electricity competition, by harnessing our carbon-tax free renewable energy advantage and putting downward pressure on electricity prices.

As I said on Sunday, these Future Directions statements are all about outlining our vision, and what Tasmania will look like under a majority Hodgman Liberal Government.

Additional Future Directions Statements I will release this year will outline our visions and plans in specific areas, for example, on the economy. And of course, I’ll also be releasing additional policies throughout the year as well.

The Future Directions Statement I’ve released today, for a self-reliant Tasmania, will be the key and over-riding vision and goal of a majority Hodgman Liberal Government, and the additional Future Directions Statements and policies I release throughout the year will back up, build-on and support this key vision for a self-reliant Tasmania.