Will Hodgman

Now is not the time for denial about Tasmania being in recession, it is a time for leadership and action.

Today’s rise in unemployment is another indicator which should send alarm bells ringing.

Tasmania needs a Government that values and supports our cornerstone industries and actively works to grow them – not shut them down as we have seen tragically occur with forestry under Labor and the Greens.

We need to encourage development to kick-start the economy. A majority Liberal Government would put back up the ‘open for business sign’ sign by introducing a single statewide planning scheme that is simpler, fairer and faster.

We would reduce business red tape, removing the road blocks for Tasmanian businesses and introduce a local benefits tests requiring the government to take into account the wider economic and social value of buying from Tasmanian businesses.

By improving education standards in Tasmania we can improve productivity. That is why a majority Liberal Government would within a decade extend our high schools to year 12 addressing retention issues and bringing our secondary system in line with other states.

Tasmania needs to be able to stand proudly on its own two feet. Only the Liberals’ have a vision to turn Tasmania around and once again see us leading the nation instead of languishing at the back of the pack.