Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens' Leader
The Tasmanian Greens will continue the roll out of free energy efficiency upgrades to low income households and small businesses, delivering lasting cost of living relief to Tasmanians.
We will also invest in a comprehensive domestic water efficiency roll out to ensure water wastage is minimised and households are only paying for the water they need to use.
To ensure low income households have greater access to healthy, home grown produce, we will fund community gardens and food hubs as well as a coordinated program to redistribute produce that might otherwise be wasted after farmers' markets and other events where fresh produce is sold.
Our Alternative Budget allocates more than $6 million each year to genuine cost of living measures that produce long term savings to households, small business and communities.
The free energy efficiency measures alone will deliver savings on power bills of between $300 - $800 each year, year after year, not just in this election year as the Liberals are doing.
The Liberals are trying to mislead Tasmanians into believing their Budget contains cost of living relief. Unfortunately, it's tinkering for the short term to get the Liberals through the election.
One year of power price relief, a dubiously effective Westpac credit card scheme and a distant promise of cheaper water and sewerage bills does not constitute genuine cost of living relief. It's more about the Liberals' election planning than any genuine attempt to support households and businesses struggling with cost of living pressures.
The energy and water efficiency, as well as food security, initiatives funded in our Alternative Budget are affordable for government and particularly in light of the fact that revenue is up by $300 million.
The Greens recognise it is a responsibility of government to ease financial pressures on low income Tasmanians and small businesses.
Our Alternative Budget shows how it can be done.
