What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

A plan for:

• A Tasmania that provides better access to services;
• A Tasmania that supports disadvantaged groups and disadvantaged places;
• A Tasmania that reduces barriers to opportunity;
• A Tasmania that gives equity to rural and regional people; and
• A Tasmania where people have rights and respect.

If ever there was a time to invest in Tasmania to make a Fairer Tasmania, that time is now. Right now. The Tasmanian Liberals believe that all Tasmanians have the right to share in our State’s prosperity – the right to a Fairer Tasmania.

A Fairer Tasmania that is built on a strong economy, and a dynamic social platform, with a plan to build our assets and invest for the future.

Policies released to date are not an exhaustive list, but key facets of the Liberal vision for a Fairer Tasmania. They will be built on between now and the next State Election.

They include:

• Establish a revamped and well-funded scheme for equipment and home modifications for people with a disabilities and seniors aimed at keeping people living independently;
• Create effective social partnerships – bringing together funding streams to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, drugs, housing and poor public health in areas where there is significant social disadvantage; and
• Work cooperatively with community groups to establish innovative programs, like a self sustainable food bank model for Tasmania – a scheme that operates successfully in most other States of Australia to provide lower cost food for those in need.

Reduce barriers to opportunity

Lifting the level of resourcing, and consequently improving the educational opportunities for Tasmanian school children, particularly with high, additional and special needs, through the provision of better support and employment opportunities for school support staff – including training and professional development for teachers aides.

Our plan is to optimize learning, enhance the role of these important professionals, and to provide greater support for our valuable teachers.

Better access to services

• Ensure that Human Services has its own Minister and its own focus within Cabinet;
• Establish a one-stop social referral, access and information service to provide face to face, telephone and on-line help for families negotiating the quagmire of three tiers of government services increasingly being provided by the non-government sector and volunteers;
• Develop a ‘sure start’ program to improve the health and well-being of families and children before and from birth up to school age – which not only includes intensive family support, but also regular checks for children;
• Acting swiftly to get families help when a problem is detected with their learning, health or care;
• Permanency planning for children in care so they don’t drift back and forth between their foster carers and parents;
• Firmly commit to begin the shift from the incarceration of youth offenders to community based restorative correctional services; and
• Continue to focus on alcohol and drug services to identify and address gaps in these services and in the delivery of mental health services.

Support disadvantaged groups and disadvantaged places

• Create a whole-of-government, long-term social strategy unit within the Department of Premier and Cabinet to drive the whole Fairer Tasmania strategy, but ensure concessions keep pace with inflation and price rises;
• Develop anti-poverty strategies, such as helping people manage debt and access low interest small loans; and to provide support to make the homes of people with low-income more energy efficient;
• A long-term commitment to affordable housing, together with a consultative homelessness strategy and models of youth housing to reconnect young people with education, training and work opportunities. We have and will continue to lobby the Federal Government on retiring our housing debt to the Commonwealth;
• Bring together partners in business to regenerate local communities with funds to help the long-term unemployed into work; and
• Set out a comprehensive integrated public transport package.

Equity to rural and regional people

• Restore country health services that have been gutted by Labor;
• Re-commit to a regional and rural GP policy with initiatives to attract and retain general practitioners in these areas;
• Develop a comprehensive and well-funded scheme for patient and community transport that is fair, equitable and accessible for those who need to access medical appointments and travel to urban regions for treatment and surgery; and
• Ensure students who live in remote areas have access to education and training by doubling the Accommodation Allowance for Tertiary Students and abolishing the means test – a policy we took to the last election that stands.

Rights and respect for Tasmanians

• Create a Childrens’ Advocacy Service to support and advocate for children who are living in out of home care situations, including group homes, in foster care and in juvenile detention centres;
• Develop a package to ensure access to justice for low income earners (not just in urban locations but access to community lawyers in smaller towns); and
• Seek to rectify recognised shortages in funding and support for advocacy organisations in this State.

These are key elements in our plan to build a Fairer Tasmania – a plan which will build individual capacity, whilst also providing some support to better include people in our community.