Small business owners are expressing their disappointment at the news of Tasmania’s $10 million tourism voucher scheme being put on hold due to the snap state election.
The ‘Eat Local, Stay Local’ program, which would have provided 100,000 Tasmanians with vouchers to spend at local hospitality and tourism businesses, has been suspended under caretaker conventions.
Martin Dreyer, chef and owner of Sylvie Hobart on Murray Street, said the timing couldn’t be worse for his relatively new restaurant.
“We’ve only been open for about almost a year now,” Dreyer said.
“It definitely would have gotten people in and it would have definitely made a difference, just in terms of getting patrons in, spreading word of mouth.”
The restaurant, which offers a 14-course tasting menu celebrating southern Tasmanian produce, was counting on the scheme to help navigate its first winter season.
“Especially now in Tasmania, there’s even more uncertainty regarding this new election and just the economic situation makes it very hard for people to justify spending and going out,” Dreyer said.
Small Business and Hospitality Minister Jane Howlett blamed Labor Leader Dean Winter for the program’s suspension.
“There’s 100,000 people there that have missed out on vouchers because of one person’s reckless grab for power,” Howlett said.
“We are a party that supports small business in tough times. We know small businesses are the engine room to our economy,” she said.
The Liberals have promised to reinstate the vouchers immediately if re-elected.
Winter has criticised the scheme as ‘reckless spending’ and said Labor would not continue with the program if elected.
“We won’t just delay it. We’ll scrap this program because our state can’t afford it,” Winter said on Sunday.
