Scrapped department shows government in chaos

Tasmanian Labor

Peter Gutwein’s decision to scrap a major government department shows the Premier is too distracted by his own government’s instability to provide the leadership Tasmania needs.

Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations Sarah Lovell said the decision to abolish the Department of Communities Tasmania leaves several services under a cloud and shows the Liberals are tired and out of touch.

“After being re-elected on the promise of stable government the Liberals are now abolishing a department they established less than four years ago,” Ms Lovell said.

“Labor has concerns about several aspects of this, including the movement of children and youth matters to the renamed Department of Education, Children and Young People, particularly given the significant work of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional settings.

“And, with child safety under significant pressure for some time and increased resources urgently needed, the Premier’s commitment to no job cuts is simply not good enough.

“Tasmania’s children and the staff with one of the hardest jobs in our community, all deserve better.

“There are also serious questions about future of other services including disability and women’s services, as they are absorbed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

“It is also a damning indictment of this government’s complete failure on housing that they have to create an entirely new statutory authority to oversee the crisis they created.

“These changes are a band-aid on a major injury and this government needs to do much more than change names and shuffle responsibility for public services.

“Our community and economy need real leadership, not more chaos.”

Sarah Lovell MLC

Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations

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