If you took Treasurer Guy Barnett at his word, you would hear that the Minority Rockliff Government’s runaway state net debt wasn’t a big issue.

That’s because, according to the Treasurer, he is delivering a “pathway to surplus”.

The only problem with the Treasurer’s solution – and it’s a big one – is that his pathway to surplus doesn’t exist.

He can’t point to it in the budget papers and given his Government’s track record and his own very serious credibility issues, no-one believes he can achieve it.

When the Liberals came to office in 2014, Tasmania had $208 million in the bank. Now, after 11 years of Liberal budget mismanagement, Tasmania is staring down the barrel of almost $11 billion worth of net debt.

Tasmania’s finances have never been worse, and the Liberals have shredded any budget management credibility they once had.

Josh Willie MP
Shadow Treasurer