A newly elected Jacqui Lambie Network MP has blasted the state government over its “cost-of-living crisis” priorities, saying it should be focusing on things other than “luxury projects” like the new AFL stadium.
Andrew Jenner, who helped form government, said Tasmanians are “doing it tough” and accused Premier Jeremy Rockliff and the Liberals of being “asleep at the wheel”.
“Tasmanians are paying 25% more for our groceries than on the mainland and our wages are on average 10% less,” he said.
“According to a recent TasCOSS report, one-in-two Tasmanians are food insecure due to the rising cost of living and one-in-five households regularly skip meals. This has tripled in two years.”
“Power prices have risen by 22.5% in the last two years and the number of electricity disconnections have surged by a record 70%. These are not records we want to be breaking.”
He said the government should “stop blowing money on pet projects that only benefit the big end of town” and called for investment in bringing supermarket competition to Tasmania, something the third major mainland player ALDI has previously ruled out.
“Introducing competition would directly help alleviate cost-of living pressures in a fundamental way,” he said.
“3 out of 5 Tasmanians are in the two most disadvantaged socio-economic quintiles and still the Liberal government believes that Tasmanians will be forking out money for tickets to AFL games.”
