The next state budget will not be tabled until September, leading the opposition to claim Tasmania is heading towards financial disaster.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the situation was "not unusual", and handing down a budget later in the year would allow the government to ensure its election commitments were fully funded.
Shadow treasurer Josh Willie said there was no excuse for the delay.
Mr Willie said, although some grace could be given to a new government, the Liberal Party had been returned to power, with Michael Ferguson retaining his Treasury portfolio.
Instead, he said the government was facing the consequences of over-promising in its election manifesto.
"The Liberal Party has spent $1.7 billion on new promises during the election that are completely unfunded. Having a budget six months after the election signals that they don't know what to do," Mr Willie said.
"Michael Ferguson has two choices as Treasurer. He's either going to savagely cut in other areas to pay for his promises, or send the state further into the red, into record debt."
Mr Willie said debt itself was not the problem, rather the extent and nature of the debt incurred by the government.
The Premier said a September budget was not unprecedented, and the delay would ensure policies were adequately funded.
"Following an election year, it is not unusual to have a budget delivered in the second half of the year," Mr Rockliff said.
"What is important is that we take the time, ensure that we have committed to all our election commitments and they're fully funded.
"Really it's a bit rich for the Labor Party to say anything. They are 10 years too late when it comes to producing an alternative budget for the Tasmanian people to also scrutinize and for them to be held accountable to.
Over the past 26 years, 15 budgets were delivered in May.
Seven were delivered in June, six of these during the Labor and Labor-Greens governments between 2006 and 2011.
Two were delivered in August and another two in November - one under Labor in 1998 and another in 2020 by the Liberals.