Jim Bacon’s Legacy “Thank you to all the people of Tasmania, for giving me the opportunity to do the job I love so much on your behalf, and to continue to be Premier of Tasmania. “ Jim Bacon, Election Victory Speech 2002 crs2004 Contents Page 1 The Bacon Legacy 1996-2004: An Extraordinary Political Career Page 2 Jim Bacon MHA Page 3 From Pessimism to Pride: The New Tasmania Page 4 Community Consultation: Tasmania Together, Industry Audits, Local Government Partnerships and Community Forums Page 5 Restoring Confidence Achievements: Page 6 Air and Sea Access Page 7 Tourism Page 8 The Arts Page 9 The Economy and Infrastructure Page 11 Sporting Facilities Page 12 Social Policies Page 13 Promoting a Positive Image of Tasmania to the Outside World “There is a new feeling in our community. Our people and our businesses are confident about their own future and the future of our State. Our economy is better and our Budgets are balanced. We are a more inclusive society … a people with renewed dignity … a new generation full of hope. The politics of division and fear are behind us. Our mission is to have a State prepared for the new millennium … where pessimism is the exception and optimism is the norm.” Jim Bacon 2000 The Bacon Legacy 1996—2004 An Extraordinary Political Career James Alexander Bacon’s political career was relatively short but spectacular. He was elected to Parliament on his first attempt in 1996, installed as Labor Leader a year later and elected Premier within two years. He is easily the biggest vote winner in the history of the Denison electorate, and remains the third highest vote winner at any election in any electorate since 1909 behind former Labor leader Doug Lowe and former Liberal Premier Robin Gray. House of Assembly DENISON Highest Individual Vote Winners Since 1959 1 Jim Bacon MHA 24 February 1996: Elected Member for Denison with 8,766 votes. 7 May 1996: Delivers maiden speech in Parliament on the need for better treatment for the mentally ill during a debate on the Port Arthur massacre. 14 April 1997: Elected Leader of the State Opposition. 29 August 1998: Elected Premier and forms first majority Labor Government in almost 20 years. Polls 18,901 first preference votes, setting a new record for Denison. 14 September 1998: Sworn in as Premier, Minister for State Development and Minister for Local Government. 21 June 2002: Calls State election for July 20. 20 July 2002: Wins first back-to-back majority Labor Government since Doug Lowe in 1979 and sets a new record in Denison polling 21,391 votes. 9 August 2002: Sworn in as Premier, Minister for Tourism, Parks and Heritage and the Minister for the Arts. 23 February 2004: Announces intention to stand down as Premier and resign from Parliament due to inoperable lung cancer. 21 March 2004: Jim Bacon resigns his commission to Governor Butler, with Paul Lennon sworn in as Premier. “Our people are our greatest asset and we must encourage them, invest in them, care for them, educate them, train them and ensure they have a good quality of life.” Jim Bacon 2003 2 From Pessimism to Pride Since the election of the Bacon Labor Government, Tasmania has undergone a transformation. The pessimism and division has been swept away in a new mood of optimism. The Old Tasmania (1998) The New Tasmania Population declining for the Population growing first time since WWII Investment at record levels Investment at an all time low Unemployment lowest in 20 Double digit unemployment years Local Government at war over Unprecedented cooperation forced amalgamations between Local and State Fears the State was headed for Governments bankruptcy First balanced budgets in 100 Mass sackings in the public years sector Mass redundancy programs axed Property values in free fall Record increases in property Building activity in the prices doldrums Best business confidence in the Second worst business nation confidence in the nation Best building activity in 25 years “The New Tasmania is a socially Credit ratings upgrades progressive Tasmania. We now lead the State debt to be eliminated by world in recognising people in same sex 2007 and other significant relationships.” Transferred Wybalenna to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Jim Bacon 2003 community. 3 Community Consultation The Bacon Government engaged the community in seeking solutions to Tasmania’s economic and social problems through four massive community consultation programs. Tasmania Together Industry Audits · Community Leaders’ Group – 24 To identify business opportunities and individuals appointed to determine barriers to economic growth: where Tasmanians wanted to be in 2020. · 70 Department of Economic · Search Conference – more than 90 Development staff conducted 801 speakers on the future of Tasmania. interviews with small to medium sized businesses. · 60 public meetings around the State. · 1500 people attended 53 forums · 100 community groups consulted. around the State. · 160 written submissions. · 453 responded to statewide survey. · 4,000 individuals had input into the Tasmania Together goals and As a result of these consultations, plans for benchmarks. specific industries were developed. Local Government Partnerships Community Forums The civil war between councils and the State Cabinet Ministers and Heads of State Government has been replaced with Agencies have now completed 45 an unprecedented level of cooperation, community forums – providing people with thanks to the scrapping of council an opportunity to meet Ministers and senior amalgamation plans and the introduction of public servants to discuss ideas and issues partnerships between the Government and face to face. councils. · Circular Head signed the first partnership agreement. · There are now 26 partnership agreements in place—19 bilateral, three regional and four statewide agreements. · All 29 councils are involved in some form of partnership agreement. 4 Restoring Confidence In 1998 Tasmanians were told the State was headed for bankruptcy unless the Hydro was sold. In its first term the Bacon Government: Maintained the Hydro in public hands. Delivered the first balanced budget in 100 years less than 12 months after taking office. Delivered the biggest business tax cuts in history. Ended the mass redundancy programs, providing security for the State’s 20,000 public servants. Fixed a $70 million black hole in health funding. Wiped $1.243 billion off State debt. “You would have heard me talk before about the two international world- changing trends that Tasmania sits at the convergence of and why we can be optimistic about the future. And just briefly that is of course due to the explosion of telecommunications technology which gives us a means to get a message out like we never have had before. At the same time increasingly millions and millions of people around the world are looking for precisely the sort of characteristics that Tasmania has and the sort of place that Tasmania is.” Jim Bacon Tourism Lunch Speech 5 May 2002 5 Achievements Air and Sea Access The Bacon Government saw the lack of airline and Bass Strait ferry capacity as the biggest single barrier to Tasmania realising its full economic potential. 5 March 1999: Government encourages Impulse Airlines to compete with Qantas on Tasmanian air routes. 1 May 1999: Qantas takes over Impulse but pledges an increase in air capacity to Tasmania. 2 November 2001: Premier Bacon welcomes Richard Branson on first Virgin Blue flight to Tasmania servicing Launceston. 8 March 2002: Premier Bacon announces government decision to purchase two superfast ferries to service Bass Strait. 31 May 2002: Virgin Blue commences flights to With Richard Branson Hobart. 2 August 2002: Spirits I and II commence Bass Strait service. 3 July 2003: Premier Bacon announces purchase of Spirit III to service Sydney to Devonport run. 13 January 2004: Spirit III begins services from Sydney to Tasmania. 25 February 2004: Qantas budget carrier Jetstar announces intention to commence flights into Tasmania in May 2004, increasing the number of seats into Tasmania to 1.253 million per annum. 6 Tourism The increased access to and from Tasmania has lifted the lid on Tasmania’s tourism industry. The number of visitors to Tasmania has increased from 501,500 to 742,900 since 1998. The number of visitors to arrive by sea has doubled from 96,700 in 1998 to 188,500 in 2003. The amount tourists spend in Tasmania has grown from $557 million in 1998 to $1.02 billion in 2003. The number of Tasmanians directly employed in the tourism industry has increased from 19,500 in 1998 to 22,480 in 2003. Infrastructure is battling to keep pace with demand. Projects worth $400 million are currently on the drawing board or underway. “Tasmania is a destination of unmatched beauty, we have an enviably clean environment, fondly preserved heritage buildings, superb local produce and arguably the friendliest people in the world.” Jim Bacon 2003 7 The Arts The arts received unprecedented exposure when it was included in the powerful Department of State Development under Premier Bacon. 30 March 2001: Tasmania held its first international arts festival – Ten Days on the Island – featuring 130 artists from 12 countries under the direction of the renowned Robyn Archer. More than 100,000 people attended 150 events around the State during the 10 day festival. March 2003: The second Ten Days on the Island attracted audiences of over 100,000 people at 38 locations across Tasmania. Planning is underway for the 2005 event to be held from the 1st to the 10th of April. March 2001: Mr Bacon presented the inaugural Tasmanian Pacific Region Prize for fiction – at $40,000, the richest single fiction prize in Australasia. Other achievements include: Facilitated the construction of the Federation Concert Hall – the new home of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. An extra $500,000 funding to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra through the Tasmanian Icons program.