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Tasmania’s closed borders led to ‘economy growing faster’ than other states: Premier Gutwein26/04/2021|5min
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says it is hard to argue locking the state’s borders “caused any sort of fettering” to economic growth.
Mr Gutwein responded to a question on the state’s border closures and how it would respond to small outbreaks once the country had been vaccinated, after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared states need to re-think how they approach the virus.
He said the NSW premier “didn’t support locking our borders” but it was the first and “most important step” his government took to keep Tasmanians safe.
Tasmanian premier and opposition leader trade barbs in People’s Forum26/04/2021|4min
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has defended his government’s record on COVID-19 and the ongoing economic rebuild, while Opposition Leader Rebecca White blasted the state’s health system at the People’s Forum hosted by Sky News and The Mercury.
Sky News and the Mercury hosted the People s Forum with the Tasmanian Premier and Opposition Leader taking questions from Tasmanian voters five days out from the state election.
In her opening statements, Ms White said under the current Liberal government the health waiting list in Tasmania has blown out to the “worst it’s ever been” with 50,000 Tasmanians waiting to see a specialist.
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Hobart International Airport was filled with reunited families and friends as it welcomed its first international flight in more than 20 years.
Air New Zealand flight NZ197 direct from Auckland arrived in Hobart just before 11am on Thursday - the first international flight to arrive in the city since 1998.
New Zealand s national carrier has revived the route with help from the federal and state governments, scheduling return flights twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. It s fixed a misnomer that s been (in our name) for 23 years, CEO of Hobart International Airport Norris Carter said.
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For hard-hit tourism operators, hopes are high the new route can help restore their COVID-battered industry.
Tasmanian leaders remain set on keeping COVID out ahead of state election20/04/2021|2min
The trans-Tasman travel bubble is a potential lifeline to Tasmania which is a state heavily reliant on tourism but both leaders refuse to veer from the message of keeping out COVID ahead of the election.
While much of the national is starting to yearn for international travel and its economic benefits Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein does not see any need to hurry.
“I would say this quite confidently, I think we are one of the safest places on the planet,” he said.
“Tasmania is I think the safest place within the country in terms of the record we stand on here”.
Tasmanian first home owners could enjoy additional grant
By Bianca Dabu
19 April 2021
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1 minute read
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In a bid to win votes, the Tasmanian government has committed to increasing the First Home Owners Grant once re-elected.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has announced an additional $10,000 to the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) should a majority Liberal government be re-elected in the upcoming May election.
This would boost the total value of the grant to $30,000.
Mr Gutwein said that the grant will also be backdated to align with the federal government’s latest extension of the HomeBuilder scheme.
“This will have positive flow-on effects for Tasmania’s booming building and construction industry, creating more work and more jobs, especially following the end of the HomeBuilder grants,” the Premier said.