A year to the day since the Premier’s disingenuous denial that Tasmania’s AFL bid was not reliant on a new waterfront stadium*, the Treasurer has all but confirmed that critical funding requests from its new statutory housing authority have been denied.
While Premier Rockliff has been perfectly happy to write a blank cheque to the AFL for a stadium that is not wanted, not needed and would be loss-making, he has ignored the homeless and those struggling under ballooning rents and mortgages.
His government has made a welcome commitment to building 10,000 new homes by 2032, however this plan is woefully underfunded in the budget.
We understand that Homes Tasmania advised the Government that the $1.5 billion they have committed to their Housing Strategy is entirely inadequate, and delivering on that commitment will require at least five, if not six, billion dollars of government investment.
In Question Time, the Premier once again evaded providing a direct answer to our questions and the critical needs of Homes Tasmania. The fiscal management of the Rockliff Government appears all adrift.
On top of the government's apparent multi-billion dollar underfunding of their Housing Strategy, Treasurer Michael Ferguson also failed to deny he had rejected a budget request from Homes Tasmania to deliver its recommended level of crisis accommodation, and another request for funding for 22 FTE staff. Neither of those critical requests appear delivered in full.
The government could choose to meet the funding requests of its own statutory housing provider, but has instead prioritised funding for a costly, unnecessary and unpopular stadium that will cost Tasmanians dearly.
*https://www.afl.com.au/news/817611/tasmania-premier-jeremy-rockliff-conf...