Dean Winter MP, Shadow Minister for Energy and Renewables, 22 June 2023
Questions over Marinus’ Chair’s exit
The Minority Liberal Government’s secrecy and lack of transparency has continued with the Energy Minister Guy Barnett refusing, despite being asked twice, to explain why the Chair of Marinus has resigned abruptly after just a year in the job.
We know there is quite a back story to this but as usual the government has refused to be honest about why Ms Samantha Hogg has suddenly left.
Minister Barnett fled from the lecturn twice today without going anywhere near answering the question, reverting to type with this government’s usual “nothing to see here”, “I hope like hell the Tasmanian people don’t learn the truth regarding what’s gone on here”, mindset.
So now, after the departure of the Marinus CEO in April, the Chair has departed the business with no explanation.
We understand Minister Barnett’s fingerprints are all over this departure.
I understand there is a dramatic change in procurement process for cabling being imposed on the business, which is causing significant angst.
The people of Tasmania have a right to know why Ms Hogg has departed as Marinus is a very high profile project and as such this issue is very much in the public interest.
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Energy spokesperson, 22 June 2023
Barnett Flees From Marinus Questions
There are many questions of Energy Minister Guy Barnett about his multi-billion dollar Marinus Link proposal, but he doesn’t have the spine or integrity to answer them.
Under questioning in Parliament today, the Minister faced a barrage of scrutiny about why the Chair of Marinus Link has resigned, after less than a year in the job. Instead of providing answers, the Minister could only muster inane talking points before beating a hasty retreat from the lectern.
Guy Barnett loves to don high vis and talk about the billions of taxpayers’ money he’s planning to spend on Marinus Link, but under the spotlight he flees. Why can’t the Minister answer simple questions about such a basic matter?
If Marinus Link were to go ahead it would take billions of public dollars to construct and run, so it’s not controversial to say Tasmanians deserve to know the basic details. Despite this, we’ve had no real information from the Rockliff Government or the opaque agency they’ve created to manage this multi-billion dollar undertaking.
There’s genuine widespread discontent about this enormously expensive project and the impact it would have on our environment, communities, level of state debt, and ultimately the flow-on costs to everyday Tasmanians. If the Liberals keep up their secretive approach, these concerns will only grow.
Earlier …
Media release – TasNetworks, 14 June 2023
New Marinus Link leadership will continue to guide Tasmania towards a clean and affordable energy future
The current Chair of TasNetworks, Mr Roger Gill, will become the new Chair of Marinus Link Pty Ltd (MLPL), replacing Ms Samantha Hogg.
The change in Marinus Link Chair is effective immediately. Along with Mr Gill becoming Chair of MLPL, TasNetworks’ CEO Seán Mc Goldrick will also take-up a position on the Marinus Link Board. TasNetworks’ Non-Executive Director Kevin Kehl will continue to serve on the MLPL Board along with current Commonwealth Government representatives Warwick Smith AO and Collette Burke.
Mr Gill said Tasmanians need electricity that’s clean, reliable and affordable.
“Marinus is critical to doubling Tasmania’s clean energy, with all the benefits that brings,” Mr Gill said.
“It’s important that we deliver on the cost, climate and reliability benefits of Marinus Link, for both Tasmania and the nation, in coming years.
“While Marinus is very much its own project, it was born of TasNetworks’ passion and expertise. Having Board leadership that bridges both businesses offers great stability and continuity as we move towards final planning and construction.
“I want to thank Sam Hogg for navigating Marinus Link through a critical phase as Chair. Her skill and service leaves a strong platform and a lasting legacy,” he said.
The 1,500MW Marinus Link Bass Strait interconnector will be jointly-owned and funded by the Australian, Tasmanian and Victorian Governments.
Ben Marshall
June 24, 2023 at 11:47
TasNetworks’ PR executives continue to claim that Marinus will benefit Tasmania, but none of those claims are borne out by any independent analysis. The claims that Marinus Link will ‘guide Tasmania towards a clean and affordable energy future’ also fail the simplest tests of logic. Neither Marinus nor TasNet’s vast new transmission grid supporting it will be remotely ‘clean’ if wind farm sites like Robbins Island are waved through by governments, and TasNetworks is allowed to bulldoze vast swathes of critical Tasmanian habitat, full of threatened and endangered species, for its new grid.
Nor will power be more affordable (I note they’ve dropped their former claim that Marinus will ‘put downward pressure on power prices’) when someone, aka ‘us’, will have to pay for the millions they’re spending on PR and community cash-splashes, and the billions on the Link and new grid.
As it stands, Marinus is little more than a PR campaign for a project the State government hopes will fill its coffers. Meanwhile, TasNetworks is bulldozing and bullshitting communities across Tasmania to get social license for its new grid.
If a few corporate rats in Marinus jump ship to swim to other corporate sinecures, it’s of little importance because others will take their place in the endless corporate grifting of Tasmanians.