00:00From a wittier side, and I've often joked about taking it on, but here we are.
00:08To an official job offer, Labor leader Dean Winter has reached across the parliamentary divide
00:14for his pick for Treasurer in the event of a Labor minority government.
00:19Ruth's someone who's got enormous capacity, she's someone who is going to strengthen our team
00:23and is the right person to take our budget forward.
00:26In June, Treasury forecast that Tasmania was headed for $13 billion worth of debt by 2028.
00:33The state of Tasmania's finances were a key factor in the successful no-confidence motion moved in Premier Jeremy Rockliffe,
00:41ultimately leading to the recent state election.
00:44Upper House MP Ruth Forrest, who will remain an independent, says she's ready to steer the ship around.
00:51I'm not going to shy away from the challenge that it is. I'll be honest, I'll be transparent,
00:55and I'll be open about what we're doing, what we're facing.
00:59She's probably the most capable member of Tasmanian Parliament when it comes to economic and financial issues,
01:06and I've got no doubt that she would be a good Treasurer if the colleagues she will have in the Labor government's cabinet allow her to be.
01:14Ms Forrest's credentials have been recognised by crossbenchers.
01:18She is the one person that I can see in either the upper or lower House of Parliament who actually has the qualifications.
01:27But there are questions over just how the partnership would work in practice.
01:31I think she would make a good Treasurer, but the question remains, will she be listened to?
01:36Where's the stadium going to fit in the upcoming budget that she would be responsible for preparing?
01:43Premier Jeremy Rockliffe's own Cabinet selections, including Erica Betts as Treasurer,
01:48will be sworn in at a ceremony in Hobart tomorrow.
01:51But the appointments could be short-lived, with crossbenchers remaining tight-lipped over whether the major parties
01:57have done enough to sway their support, as both Labor and the Liberals continue to vie for minority government.
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