Friday 27 November 2009
TOPICS: Premier’s failure to save McCain jobs, Federal Liberals
Please note this transcript is not formally proofed.
Journalist:
The meeting wasn’t shaping up to be a big thing from the beginning, what it actually turned out to be?
Will Hodgman:
Well this is disappointing. David Bartlett’s failure to do what he said he would and protect these jobs is a gross disappointment. I think Tasmanians now would want to know exactly what this Government’s going to do in a positive and constructive sense moving forward and we repeat our commitment to play a role and to work with the Government to secure the futures of these Tasmanian families that have been so negatively impacted. David Bartlett made the claim at the start of this week, that he was going to save jobs, and his failure to do so is extremely disappointing, but the task of working out a constructive way forward begins and we repeat our call to play a role, to participate on the community task force. David Bartlett’s unilateral approach and his grandstanding has not paid dividends and that is a disappointment, especially for those Tasmanians who have been impacted on by this decision, so we repeat our pledge to work constructively and to show the people in the North West that we are working in a bi-partisan way constructively to serve their interests and to take the politics right out of this.
Journalist:
Was that grandstanding on Monday unfair to the people who work at that plant?
Will Hodgman:
I believe that the people up on the North West Coast have their expectations raised by a Premier making all sorts of statements that he just simply could not deliver. His failure to get a result here is most unfortunate, but importantly, what the people of the North West Coast would want to see happen is that politicians and indeed Government band together and get on with the job of sorting things out. The record will show that David Bartlett was not able to deliver what he said he would, but now all the Tasmanians who have been affected by this decision, will want to know where we go from here.
Journalist:
But at the same time, was he setting himself up to fail, by saying repeatedly that he wasn’t optimistic about saving their jobs?
Will Hodgman:
It’s a pretty cruel hoax of a Premier if he deliberately raises expectations knowing that it was going to be impossible to deliver on that, especially when it involves people’s livelihoods. For the Premier of the day to make such strong statements is a matter for him, and his failure to deliver on them is now well and truly on the public record. But I pledge to work constructively and to participate in the community task force within a bi-partisan way and I think that’s what Tasmanians want to see us do.
Journalist:
The Premier was only too happy to go up there to go and talk about how he was going on this mission, but now things haven’t been so successful, he is not coming out to say anything. What does that say?
Will Hodgman:
Well this mission was very hollow and has been proven to be a failure. David Bartlett made the claim, he is not able to deliver and he certainly is not around to justify how he has gone about handling this matter. I think the worst thing that has happen here is that expectations have been raised in the community to have the Premier of the day make strong statements that he could not deliver upon, is most unfortunate. There must be a more positive and constructive way forward and I pledge my Party are prepared to play constructive role in that regard. But at the end of the day it’s another classic example of David Bartlett being all talk and no action. All spin no substance, and in this occasion when we are talking about the jobs of Tasmanian families, it’s a pretty ordinary outcome.
Journalist:
He started the week with a big bang, a big photo opportunity and it ends in a whimper, no attention paid to its failure whatsoever, as Martin say, what does that say about his leadership?
Will Hodgman:
When you get a Premier that is desperate on the back off a bad poll, when his Government is continuing to perform poorly and become quite dysfunctional, it is not surprising that he would use a tragedy such as this for his own political ends. This is the result of a Government that has run out of steam, run out of energy, run out of ideas, and simply can’t do what it says it will. David Bartlett has established a very good reputation for himself of being all talk, no action, or at least failure to deliver what he promises, and in this case it’s a most cruel hoax when it comes to Tasmanian jobs, the livelihoods of people, just before Christmas who are now facing a very bleak outcome. Within a matter of days they have had their expectations lifted by a Premier who’s more worried about his own self preservation, and in just a few short days they are feeling credibly deflated no doubt.
Journalist:
So what does he now owe these workers? What specific actions does he need to take?
Will Hodgman:
I think the best thing David Bartlett could do is stop this unilateral approach where it’s all about him, and actually engage with the community and indeed other interested parties, such as the State Opposition. We said on day one that if we get together collectively and work in a constructive cooperative fashion, there will be a better chance of an outcome. It was David Bartlett who raised the expectations on Monday; he has failed to deliver them. Tasmanians will want to know where he now goes and we pledge our commitment as I say to take that constructive bi-partisan approach.
Journalist:
He has now allowed McCains on the Taskforce, is it unfair that McCains is allowed on it but yourselves and Greens aren’t?
Will Hodgman:
Again, I can only say our commitment is to work constructively. This unilateral approach by David Bartlett has failed, he’s lifted expectations, and at the end of the day he has not delivered. Now we need to address every way possible to ensure that the Tasmanians who have been impacted on, by this decision, are looked after and we explore every opportunity, every reasonable way to giving them a brighter future.
Journalist:
Can we ask about the Federal Leadership issue? Do you think that’s going to rub off on State politics in Tasmania?
Will Hodgman:
I think that Tasmanians are smart enough to work out that there’s a difference between what happens in Canberra and what happens here. We are totally focussed on getting on with the job of presenting good policy and good candidates to contest the March 2010 election here in Tasmania. I remain totally focussed on that front, and I think Tasmanians can work out for themselves that what happens in Canberra, what happens here are quite different things. We remain focussed, we are getting on with the job and that’s what Tasmanians want to see happen.
Journalist:
If the Federal Liberal Party does split on environmental issues, would that also flow down to the State level of the Liberal Party?
Will Hodgman:
Our record has been very strong on matters such as climate change, addressing the challenges that are faced by climate change. We were in fact a Party here that put the whip under the Labor Government for not acting quickly enough or decisively enough and we are all about improving our renewable energy opportunities in this State. We have got a strong policy commitment on that front. So our commitment remains to do what we can do to reduce emissions, to improve our renewable energy opportunities here in Tasmania, and to ensure that we protect what’s so special about this State. We will continue a strong positive policy agenda. The Tasmanian Opposition remains a united, strong and cohesive on that front and we will continue to do that, but what happens in Canberra is something I have no control of, and frankly, at the moment, I am focussed on what we can do here.
Journalist:
Tasmanians Senators will be crossing the floor; doesn’t that mean that grassroots Liberals are in the same division in Tasmania as they are elsewhere?
Will Hodgman:
I do believe that Tasmanians and not just members of the Liberal Party, but Tasmanians generally understand entirely that what happens in Canberra is a separate issue all together. They are dealing with a most complex piece of legislation, and it’s a matter for that Parliament to deal with that, and our representatives in that place will do what they think is appropriate, and they should have the entitlement and the right to do that. I support them in their endeavours on that front, but at the end of the day what we are about is doing what we can in this place on a number of fronts, and when it comes to our environment, to reducing emissions to a more sustainable future, we have got a very strong policy commitment for the Tasmanian people to consider and they will have the opportunity to vote on that in March next year.
Journalist:
But the infighting in the Federal Liberal Party is not a very good look for the Liberal brand, is it?
Will Hodgman:
Well I am sure that my Federal colleagues will in a considered and appropriate way to deal with their issues, whilst I continue to lead a positive and constructive policy debate in Tasmania, that’s what I am focussing on.
Journalist:
Is several spill motions in a few days an appropriate and considered approach then?
Will Hodgman:
Well, that’s as I say, what I am doing here is distinguishable I believe from what my Federal colleagues are doing. I am letting them get on with the business of running their operations. What Tasmanians expect to see from me, is not involving myself in that debate, but getting on with what they want to see us do in Tasmania, and that’s argue good policy, get good candidates on the ground and by March 2010 they will make a decision about the Hodgman Liberal Government, alternative as it is at this stage, and that’s a matter for them to make that decision.
Journalist:
Do you think Malcolm Turnbull will be Opposition Leader by the end of the day?
Will Hodgman:
I am not going to speculate as to whom might be doing what, and they’ll determine that. I am not involved in discussions up there, I’m not involved in debate on the legislation, and I am certainly not privy to any discussions within or outside the party room. I am focussing totally on what I am needing to be doing here, and that’s presenting a strong case for an alternative Government in Tasmania. It’s March next year that the decision will be made, and people will assess us on our policies, on how we present it and how we build up credibility at the alternative Government and that’s the important thing that I am focussing on.
Journalist:
Surely you would prefer that this was not going on though. It wouldn’t be your first preference for what’s happening Federally.
Will Hodgman:
I can sincerely tell you that each day of this week I have woken up with a focus on what Tasmanians want to know about, how the Premier is going to save jobs on the North West Coast. What are the important policy debates we should be having in this State, and how I, as the alternative Premier, can be engaging with Tasmanians about the problems they are dealing with, not what’s happening in Canberra.
Will Hodgman MP Leader of the State Opposition
