Media release – Josh Willie MLC, Shadow Minister for Sport, 29 November 2022
Line of stadium opponents grows even longer
Jeremy Rockliff’s proposed $750 million stadium is facing a growing chorus of opposition, with Tasmanian independent Senator Jacqui Lambie the latest to hit out at the plan.
During a Matter of Public Importance in the Senate yesterday, Senator Lambie said “anybody with a chequebook worth $375 million in free cash and facing the problems Tasmania is facing would not start with a stadium.”
Federal Liberal senators have already put it on the record that a stadium is the wrong priority and that the AFL is holding Tasmania to a double standard, while members of Jeremy Rockliff’s own team have failed to state their support for the stadium, especially his northern members in Bass and Braddon.
Yesterday Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam was particularly forthright, saying taxpayers’ money would be better spent on “anything else” including housing, roads, hospital beds or sorting out the scourge of family and domestic violence.
On top of that, the Senate heard the Tasmanian Government is still yet to complete a business case for the project.
The people of Tasmania and the Premier’s own party have been loud and clear about not wanting a new stadium and the Premier needs to stand up to the AFL and demand a team without the requirement to spend $750 million on a stadium in Hobart.
Media release – Shane Broad MP, Shadow Treasurer, 29 November 2022
Ferguson admits stadium will add to Tasmania’s skyrocketing debt
The Treasurer Michael Ferguson has admitted the government’s proposed $750 million stadium will go on Tasmania’s credit card, pushing our debt even higher again.
Tasmania’s debt is already set to hit even higher levels under the Liberals, with Government Business Enterprise scrutiny hearings being told today of concerns about the level of borrowing and interest rate volatility.
And, Mr Ferguson admitted that the government will approach TasCorp to fund Tasmania’s share of the stadium, meaning millions of dollars will be added to the state’s debt even before interest rates are factored in.
GBE hearings this morning heard that the blanket COVID debt guarantee – in the form of “letters of comfort” are still in place for all entities borrowing from TasCorp including GBEs and local councils.
Not only that but the Auditor General’s annual report shows that out of seven Public Non-Financial Corporations that hold borrowings, five have a current liability balance that exceeds their current assets, and across the PNFC, there appears to be a working capital deficit.
The TasCorp Chair Tony Ferrall told today’s hearing that there have been discussions with the Treasurer about the risk associated with new borrowings by unnamed state entities, saying a sustained period of higher interest rates will have an impact on debt levels.
Net debt is already at $1.3 billion with almost nothing to show for it – our hospitals are in crisis, our education outcomes are going backwards and a record number of Tasmanians are waiting a record amount of time for housing.
This is no time for more reckless spending from the Liberals – and spending $750 million on a new stadium with no business case, is completely reckless.
Ben Marshall
November 29, 2022 at 16:33
A $375 mill? Pfft! Peanuts! This doesn’t compare to the billions we’re going to fork out (via taxes, intergenerational debt and higher power prices) for Marinus’ and TasNetworks’ new transmission grid – all to help private renewables companies ship Tasmanian wind energy to the Mainland market.
We’ll get less out of Marinus than the AFL debacle, yet Duniam and Broad aren’t virtue-signalling with the mess imposed on our energy, climate and jobs sectors by TasNetworks, planner of the Marinus Project.
Could it be that Ruth Forrest MLC, and independent energy experts are right when they point out the biggest beneficiary of the Marinus project will be the State government? And that it’s all about money and not energy transition or action on climate? And that it won’t produce any jobs or growth? And that the government of the day might one day earn hundreds of millions of easy money off us via their ‘superprofits’ rorting proxy, TasNetworks?
When Duniam and Broad arc up about Marinus, I might believe they’re sincere about the AFL stadium funding and not just seeking some free PR on their rise to power.
John Edward George
November 30, 2022 at 18:55
A stadium creates taxes and taxes pay the bills, so I can’t see why anyone listens to Lambie’s hot air without action.
How about pulling back on all the millions the Australian government hands out to foreign countries?