Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
The Tasmanian Greens strongly support public sector workers who are striking today to demand a better deal on pay and conditions from the Rockliff Liberal government.
The pay of Tasmanian public sector workers lags the nation, while workloads continue to increase and conditions deteriorate. It’s completely unacceptable and unsustainable.
But rather than making sure our state’s public services are properly funded, and workers properly paid, Jeremy Rockliff is making excuses.
Throughout negotiations with unions, the Premier has said he wants to make sure pay increases are ‘affordable’, but his government could easily afford a significant increase in public sector investment, if only they decided it was a priority.
The Liberals are happy to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on an unnecessary third stadium.
They allow mining companies to enjoy hugely discounted royalty rates compared to the mainland, costing the budget $125 million last year alone.
They’re giving a sweetheart deal to multinational fish farm companies, despite the fact they operate in public waters.
And who could forget the massive tax break given to the Federal Group, or the tax cuts for wealthy property investors?
If the Premier truly values our public services, and wants to retain the critical staff who support them, he would make an ambitious increase in resourcing a priority. That’s the only way to deliver meaningful wage growth, to fix understaffing, and to tackle unsustainable workloads.
Instead, he’s standing by while wages go backwards and services fall to pieces, because his priorities are wrong and he doesn’t have the spine to stand up to the vested interests who aren’t paying their fair share.