Tasmania’s peak business body has publicly backed a Labor Party blueprint to address runaway levels of state debt, and called on the Liberal government to announce its own savings plan before the July 19 election.

Signing a memorandum of understanding with Opposition Leader Dean Winter in Hobart on Sunday, Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said business representatives would happily sit alongside unions and community groups at Labor-proposed roundtable discussions aimed at addressing Tasmania’s looming fiscal woes.

Praising Mr Winter’s plan to bring competing interest groups together in the same room, Mr Bailey said fixing the state budget was at the top of the TCCI’s election wishlist.

“For an opposition to put this sort of paper out three weeks before an election is fantastically courageous, and what we’re seeing from Dean Winter and Josh Willie is a plan to fix the Tasmanian budget problem we are faced with,” Mr Bailey said.

“The government must now react to this, and we need to see from the Liberal Party their plan for budget repair.

“Good on Labor for coming up with a plan that’s robust, and which will see the budget put back into a more sustainable way.”

After Mr Winter spent Saturday outlining Labor’s plan to realise more than $1bn in capital savings over the forward estimates period – including transferring Tasmania’s share of the proposed Marinus Link electricity interconnector – the Opposition Leader on Sunday declared the Liberal government had no plans to arrest the state’s forecast slide into $13bn worth of net debt by 2027-28.

Mr Winter said Tasmanian business, union, and community sectors all recognised the size and scale of the state’s current budget dilemma, with Labor determined to tap their collective wisdom to find a long-term, sustainable solution.

“Our plan is about a fresh start for Tasmania,” Mr Winter said. “We will make sure that we’re growing the economy through our reforms like Invest Tasmania, and bilateral agreements that will work with the federal government to get more projects approved.

“Our commitment is that every single cent of new revenue coming into the budget will go to pay down the debt.

“And today, the TCCI’s announcement that the Tasmanian business community is going to work with us to fix this budget mess.

“We’re really pleased and proud to have the endorsement of the business community today, because it shows that our plan is a plan to fix the budget in the long term, to get Tasmania back into a sustainable position.”

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Winter announced plans to provide every Tasmanian school student with a $100 sports voucher to help children adopt healthy and active lifestyles, should Labor be elected on July 19.

Estimating the cost of the scheme at $8m, Mr Winter said the cost-of-living measure would replace the Liberal government’s $10m tourism voucher scheme, which was put on hold earlier this month pending the outcome of the election.

“The sports vouchers will cover any extra-curricular sports activity outside of school hours – soccer, football, swimming, dance – you name it,” Mr Winter said on the campaign trail in Hobart on Sunday.

“This program will complement the existing Ticket to Play program – not replace it.

“With the rising cost of living, many families are struggling to cover the cost of these activities. Our sports vouchers will help relieve that pressure, making it easier for young people to stay active and engaged, while supporting parents who are feeling pressure on their household’s budget.”

In response to the TCCI’s challenge to reveal its future fiscal roadmap, senior Liberal MP Felis Ellis said details of the government’s plan to return Tasmania to surplus was contained in its recently delivered state budget.

“The TCCI says Labor’s MOU will consider asset sales and additional taxes,” Mr Ellis said,

“Only a Liberal government will ensure no asset sales or tax increases.”