Former Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter says the state is facing fiscal ruin, warning tax increases are now unavoidable despite election commitments.
Speaking on the Poll Position podcast, the shadow treasurer said Treasury had identified $3.3 billion in corrective measures needed to return the budget to sustainability by 2029.
“I can’t stress to Tasmanians enough how bad the budget is,” Winter said. “We are literally going broke.”
Labor, like the Liberals, took a no-new-taxes policy to the last election, but Winter said the state’s finances had since deteriorated beyond what spending cuts alone could address.
“You can say no new taxes all you like. All that means is that the cuts have to get bigger,” he said.
“There is going to be tax increases … you’re going to need to have revenue increases. And that includes taxes.”
Winter also reflected on the snap election that ended his leadership, triggered by his no-confidence motion against Premier Jeremy Rockliff over the 2025 state budget.
He said the move was driven by principle rather than politics.
“If you believe in anything, if you’ve got conviction, if you take your responsibility seriously, you have to do something in moments like that,” he said.
Winter said Labor’s campaign was badly under-resourced, with him drafting media releases and contacting staff on weekends.
The Liberals recorded a 16-point swing during the six-week campaign.
“One side ran a really effective campaign and one side didn’t,” he said.
Winter said he rejected demands from Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff to change Labor’s positions on native forestry, salmon farming and the proposed stadium as a condition of forming government.
“I would rather have lost and not broken promises than break promises and do deals that give me power,” he said.
He also ruled out moving another no-confidence motion in the near future.
“I don’t think anyone will be going to an early election anytime soon,” he said.
Poll Position is hosted by Brad Stansfield and Alex Johnston.
