Media release – Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader, 20 June 2023
Greens’ Attempt to Remove Stadium Funding from Budget Blocked
The Greens’ second attempt to remove stadium funding from the State Budget was blocked by Labor and the Liberals in the Estimates Committee today.
If our amendment had made it through the Estimates Committee, it would have sent a strong signal to the House, and been indicative of Labor’s support for defunding the stadium.
Our amendment to the Estimates Committee report would have recommended the House instruct the Government to reduce funding in the Budget bill by $15 million – the total provided for the stadium in 2023-24.
The Greens made a promise to Tasmanians that we would do everything we could to remove funding for Jeremy Rockliff’s mega-stadium from the Budget.
Unfortunately, despite their alleged anti-stadium position, the Labor Opposition refused to support our move.
They can pretend it’s blocking supply all they like, but it clearly isn’t. It simply would have been a step towards making sure there was no public funding for the Macquarie Point stadium in this year’s Budget.
The fight to stop the stadium continues, while community attitudes against it harden by the day.
Liberal Contempt for Parliament Continues
The Liberals’ contempt for Parliament has continued, with three Ministers – including Premier Jeremy Rockliff – failing to meet the deadline for providing information to Budget Estimates Committees.
Earlier this month, the House of Assembly agreed all Ministers must provide their responses to Questions on Notice prior to 5:00pm on Monday 19 June. Premier Rockliff, Minister Roger Jaensch, and Minister Madeleine Ogilvie all missed this deadline.
This failure follows the Premier failing to provide key stadium documents to the Parliament, despite an explicit order.
The Liberals are clearly struggling with the transparency requirements of a balance of power parliament.
The Premier and his colleagues are acting like all of this is just a game, but directly contravening the instructions of the House is a serious matter.
Unlike the Premier, the Greens still believe in the importance of upholding the basic tenets of Westminster democracy, and we will continue to do everything we can to hold the Liberals to account.
Media release – Rebecca White MP, Labor Leader, 20 June 2023
It’s getting harder to believe the Premier
The minority Liberal government today voted against transparency and instead opted to block the Parliament’s attempts to publish documents in the public interest.
There can be no doubt that there is enormous public interest in the stadium and AFL deal signed by Premier Jeremy Rockliff and secrecy around these matters has already seen two Liberal party members quit.
Today the minority Liberal Government lost three votes in the Parliament because of their refusal to realise the majority of members demand greater honesty and will no longer put up with their trademark secrecy.
We’ve seen legal experts such as Associate Professor of Law Rick Snell and Geoffrey Watson SC question whether the advice Premier Rockliff refuses to release is in fact Cabinet in Confidence.
The reason we moved our motion was because we are finding it increasingly hard to believe what the Premier says.
Today’s parliamentary proceedings have been taken in the interest of transparency and are in the best interest of Tasmanians.
Labor’s sensible motion remains on the notice paper and we will continue to make the argument that Tasmanians deserve to know the details of this secret deal.
Media release – Michael Ferguson, Treasurer, 20 June 2023
Decisions and delivery – not more delays
Labor’s latest time-wasting stunts in Parliament have been a massive waste of time, delaying the delivery of the 2023-24 State Budget and the important investments it contains for the Tasmanian community.
“Labor are now cooking up the story that there are secret documents around the project,” Mr Ferguson said.
“It’s rubbish and its time they were called out.
“They can’t hide behind their smokescreen: there are no secret documents. They are just trying to find a way to stop the stadium and kill the team without having the fortitude to take responsibility for their increasingly confused stance.
“It’s the latest in Labor’s record of relentless negativity, saying “No” and opposing at every turn.
“Their negativity is hurting Tasmanian businesses, and driving down confidence.
“Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Federal Labor can see the big picture and that’s why they backed the precinct plan with a quarter of a billion dollars.
“It’s nearly the end of the Budget session and Labor still hasn’t delivered a properly funded or costed alternative Budget.
“So get out of the way – and stop delaying the delivery of our 2023-24 Budget for Tasmanians.
“Tasmania cannot afford Bec White’s Labor, their negativity, and the damage they would inflict on our economy.”
