Three key crossbenchers are threatening to vote against the Tasmanian government's upcoming budget. If the government doesn't agree to adopt financial transparency measures. The push comes a day after the upper house passed a bill to lower the threshold for disclosing political donations to a thousand dollars.
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00:00A crossbench banding together to raise the alarm about the state's finances.
00:07We're in a world of grief and they're totally ignorant of the situation we've got ourselves in.
00:13They're calling for the government to stamp out pork barrelling during election campaigns,
00:18Introduce a parliamentary budget office and explain why budget targets aren't met.
00:25The community deserve better. They deserve a government that's accountable and transparent and acts with integrity.
00:30All warning they could vote against the budget unless the government is on board.
00:34If they don't actually stamp up to these fairly innocuous asks then I will be voting against the budget again.
00:41We'll have more to say in due course. We support openness and transparency.
00:45In parliament a war of words continued about one of the government's answers to the budget problem.
00:51Selling off assets to reduce the state's debt burden.
00:54The fact is that privatisation of energy assets has always led to higher prices and less money for schools and hospitals.
01:01The government digging up old comments from the opposition leader.
01:05In Victoria where electricity assets are privatised they pay less for electricity.
01:10That means every single mum and dad business at home pays less.
01:13Why does Tasmania own Intura? What's the strategic reason for owning that particular business?
01:18As it tries to make its case for privatisation.
01:22How can this guy have been such a strong advocate for privatisation one minute and is now opposed to it?
01:30I can tell you what our position is, what my position is and we do not support the privatisation plans of the Liberal Party.
01:36On a day dominated by questions about transparency the Greens celebrated as the upper house supported changes to the state's electoral donations act.
01:45With all donations over $1,000 soon to be made public.
01:50Tasmanians will be able to go to the polls knowing who's donated how much money to which political party and what they expect in return.
01:59One long fight over with others showing no signs of slowing down.