The Tasmanian Greens today continued to shine some much-needed light on the money owed to the public by the Walker Corporation, and asked the Attorney General, Brian Wightman MP, if it was true this company had ceased paying its debt owned to the Department of Justice, despite it remaining unpaid.
The Greens Environment and Coastal Protection spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said it had come to light that a sizeable debt remained unpaid, and that the instalments of the bill from the Tasmanian Planning Commission for the Lauderdale Quay Project of State Significance assessment had recently ceased being paid by Walker Corporation.
“This debt to the Department of Justice is a debt to the Tasmanian people and it reflects extremely poorly on Sydney’s Walker Corporation that it has apparently walked away from its responsibility in this case,” said Ms O’Connor.
“Millionaire businessman, Lang Walker, put the Ralphs Bay community through nearly seven years of stress and expense, so this revelation that the Tasmanian people have been left in the red adds insult to injury.”
“Comments by the Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Bryan Green MP during the debate on 14 June 2011 over the Canal Estate (Prohibition) Bill 2011 confirmed that this debt remained unpaid.”
“Other questions, which the Tasmanian Greens will continue to pursue until I receive satisfactory answers, include:
a) What the total bill of the Tasmanian Planning Commission Assessment for the Lauderdale Quay Project of State Significance was?
b) When the last installment was paid by Walker Corporation?
c) What the amount of money still owed is?”
“The Minister for Planning refused to answer these questions when asked last week, using the fig-leaf excuse of commercial confidence. Now the Attorney General has too.”
“But this is a debt owned to the Tasmanian people and should be a matter of public record. We will continue to pursue it by all means, including during Budget Estimates, Questions on Notice and Right to Information,” said Ms O’Connor.
TASMANIAN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HANSARD EXTRACT
Canal Estate (Prohibition) Bill 2011
TUESDAY, June 14, 2011
Link: Read the full debate in Hansard HERE
Ms O’CONNOR – I often think, Mr Deputy Speaker, that Walker Corporation must have forked out a pretty chunk of the boss’s millions to pay for all the glossy spin, the web of flim-flam, the phoney consultation, the lawyers and Richo’s lobbying fees. That does bring some comfort I am sure to many. I have also wondered and once asked in budget Estimates last year, Mr Green, as Planning minister, as I am sure he will recall, whether Walker Corporation has paid its bill to the Tasmanian Planning Commission and therefore to the Tasmanian people in full.
After more than two years in the planning process, that assessment must have cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Has it been recouped? At the time, Minister, in Estimates you were unable to provide an answer, so I am asking again, what was the final bill and has Walker Corporation paid what it owes for the planning commission assessment? I look forward to your answer in your response to the second reading, Minister.
Mr GREEN – … On the issue of debt, I have asked for some advice on that. The Department of Justice has responsibility for pursuing the outstanding accounts with Walker Corporation.
Ms O’Connor – So that’s confirmation there is an outstanding account?
Mr GREEN – Yes, there is an outstanding debt but it is not appropriate for me to talk about the amount of that debt. You have to be very careful what you say, particularly in camera and other things, but this is important. The department will be contacting the company again this week to determine their response to that particular debt and of course the assessment process had to continue on anyway.
Ms O’Connor – Has Walker Corporation paid any portion of its debt to the Tasmanian Planning Commission?
Mr GREEN – The advice that I have is that they were paying instalments and then they ceased to pay those instalments.
Mr Booth – We’re talking about official payments.
Mr GREEN – As I said, it is the responsibility of Justice. You made a fantastic speech about the environment but you forgot that one.
Mr Wightman – Apparently.
Ms O’Connor – But you can confirm that Walker Corporation has not paid in full its debt to the Tasmanian Planning Commission for the assessment.
Mr GREEN – That is correct.
Yesterday on Tasmanian Times: Walker’s Lia before the MAST
• Thursday: LEGAL ACTION SHOULD BE PURSUED OVER LARGE DEBT FROM WALKER CORP
Nearly Three Quarters of a Million Owing for Tasmanian Planning Commission Assessment
Cassy O’Connor MP
Greens Environment and Coastal Protection spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens today pushed further on the issue of outstanding debt owed by Walker Corp to the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC), asking the Attorney-General, Brian Wightman MP, to outline if the payment plan was being adhered to, and if not, would the State seek legal action to recover the funds.
Greens Environment and Coastal Protection spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said it is astounding that a company can owe the Tasmanian taxpayer $721,000 and expect to keep doing business in Tasmania.
Ms O’Connor also said an individual would never get away with owing a large sum of money without any pressure to adhere to a strict payment regime, and the same requirements should apply to a corporation.
“It was confirmed in Question Time today that the Walker Corporation owes the Tasmanian taxpayer $721,000 and the Attorney-General needs to consider taking legal action to reclaim that outstanding debt,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Walker Corp has caused nearly seven years of distress for the people involved in the Save Ralphs Bay campaign, and they must not be allowed to continue to dictate their own agenda in this State for their own gain,” Ms O’Connor said.
