LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN STURGES

Flinders Island Shipping Crisis is the Last Straw

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today moved a no confidence motion in Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges, saying that the crisis which has engulfed the shipping service to Flinders Island was the last straw in a litany of failings across the portfolio including the freight rail debacle, the non-existent State infrastructure plan, and the stalled Brighton Bypass project.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that it is exactly one year ago today when on the 15th of October 2008, that the Bartlett government blocked a move by Greens Member for Bass Kim Booth MP to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Southern Shipping contract and service delivery to the Bass Strait Islands, and that if this Inquiry had been established the Flinders Island community may have been protected from the current crisis situation.

“The patience of the Tasmanian community has been tried severely by this bungling Infrastructure Minister, and this year long debacle over the poor and unreliable shipping service to the Bass Strait islands, and in particular Flinders Island, has proven to be the last straw for many,” Mr McKim said.

“What gall of Minister Sturges and Premier Bartlett to say that everything possible is being done to resolve the mounting problems associated with the Southern Shipping contract, when they voted to block the Greens’ proposed Parliamentary Inquiry into this matter a year ago today.”

“Minister Sturges is a serial offender when it comes to ignoring the warning bells until the government finds itself plunged into a crisis.”

“Enough is enough, this is poor governance and the Tasmanian community deserves better. This substandard quality of governance is intrinsically linked to the ongoing substandard shipping service contract, and the Flinders Island community deserves better.”

“The Flinders Island community have lost confidence in this Minister and today the Greens acted to represent those concerns in the House.”

“It is clear that the Premier felt he had to support his ineffective and bungling Infrastructure Minister, as he clearly does not have any viable alternative on the backbench with which to replace him.”

Mr McKim said that Mr Bartlett’s attempts to portray the Greens as agents of instability are laughable given the lack of stability over the last three and a half years.

“The Greens are committed to stable government no matter what the make-up of the House after the next election.”

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Text of No Confidence Motion in Infrastructure Minister, Graeme Sturges:

That this House has no confidence in the Infrastructure Minister, due to:

1. A legacy of mismanagement and incompetence over the last 16 months, including:

(a) the State’s freight rail system grind to a halt including the critical west coast Melba Line being closed for a fortnight by its operator, Asciano;

(b) the bungled Brighton Bypass project which inadequately assessed the potential impact upon significant Aboriginal heritage;

(c) the failure to provide a comprehensive State infrastructure plan;

(d) the failure to submit to the Australian Government’s $42 billion post-GST economic stimulus monies for infrastructure proposals, for additional rail or other infrastructure funding;

(e) the loss of TOLL container freight from Bell Bay Port to Burnie despite the department’s strategic investment in making the north-east port the State’s prime container freight facility, and apparently without the Minister’s knowledge;

(f) his failure to adequately manage the crucial shipping service to Flinders Island, King Island, and the Furneaux Group, contracted to the Southern Shipping Company Pty Ltd, a failure which is damaging the local economy of Flinders Island, and causing severe frustration for the community, primary producers, and local businesses.

2. And in that context, that this House notes:

(g) that agricultural agent, Roberts Ltd, is no longer utilising Southern Shipping, but is instead using an alternative shipping contractor to move stock from Flinders Island;

(h) that Southern Shipping was banned from TasPorts-operated port facilities earlier this month due to an ongoing problem with unpaid port fees;

(i) that Southern Shipping has been listed in the Tasmanian Collection Service Gazette for outstanding debts, yet the Minister still declares that the company can still discharge its obligations as stipulated by its contract;

(j) that the Mathew Flinders vessel, operated by Southern Shipping under contract to the government, is currently under an order by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, that prohibits the vessel from sailing after the 31st of October this year until the vessel is slipped and the hull repaired, inspected and passed;

(k) that the Southern Condor vessel, also operated by Southern Shipping, has received a Maritime and Safety Tasmania order detailing substantial repairs needed to pass sea worthy inspections

(l) that currently there is an industrial dispute between Southern Shipping and workers regarding unpaid wages, which has resulted in the Mathew Flinders vessel being stranded on Cape Barron island, and the involvement of the Maritime Union of Australia;

(m) that the alternative vessel recently contracted as an emergency fall-back, will probably be unable to dock today due to the Mathew Flinders blocking the mooring, which is further evidence of the degree to which this debacle has escalated to a crisis;

2. The fact it was exactly one year ago today, the 15th of October 2008, that the Bartlett government and the Infrastructure Minister voted against the Tasmanian Greens’ call for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Southern Shipping contract and service deliver to the islands, and condemns Labor’s failure to establish this Inquiry;

3. That had the Minister established this Parliamentary Inquiry many of the above matters of concern relating to the Southern Shipping contract could have been either resolved or even avoided, and the communities of the Bass Strait islands protected from the negative impacts incurred due to this unreliable service.
Nick McKim MP Greens Leader