Transcript of media conference with Greens MHA for Clark, Vica Bayley, Evans St, Hobart, 23 February 2024. Also present were Helen Burnet, Greens candidate for Clark; Cassy O’Connor, Greens candidate for Hobart (LegCo); Nick McKim, Greens Senator for Tasmania.
Vica Bayley
Today it’s been revealed what many people have always suspected: the federal government is denying the state government GST exemption on the $240 million that has been given to redevelop the Macquarie Point site. This is Labor and Liberal politicians playing with Tasmanians and denying Tasmanians the ability to spend that money on the things that really count, to spend that money on health care, on education, on public transport, and on other initiatives that actually really help relieve the cost of living pressure.
It’s revealed that Treasurer Ferguson and his Treasury Department was actually informed mid-December that the federal government wasn’t going to exempt the GST from the contribution to the Macquarie Point site. Despite this Treasurer Ferguson sat on this information for two months and it wasn’t until the day that Jeremy Rockliff called the election that he’s written a desperate letter back to the federal treasurer seeking a reassessment of the decision. That decision won’t change. This is Liberal and Labor politicians dudding Tasmanians out of $240 million that could be spent on the things that matter most: health care, education, housing support and other initiatives that people need so desperately today.
Tasmanian Times
Who’s to blame for this? Is this a dirty job by the Albanese government or a failure of the Tasmanian government to get their request in order?
Vica Bayley
This is Labor and Liberal politicians playing politics with this announcement, denying Tasmanians $240 million that could otherwise be spent on the things that matter most: things like health care, education, or support for public transport and housing relief. It’s Labor and Liberal politicians that are that are playing politics with this money. And it’s a failure fundamentally of the Tasmanian Government to actually do its job and look after the interests of Tasmanian people.
Journalist – unidentified
To bring it back to basics for someone on the street, why does it matter that that 240 mil won’t be GST exempt?
Vica Bayley
No one believes that this stadium can be built for the price that Premier Rockliff says it is. His cap announced at the start of this election campaign is an acknowledgement that those costs will blow out and that those costs will be borne by every single Tasmanian taxpayer. This information basically indicates that that cap was a lie; Premier Rockliff knew all along that this stadium would cost the full $240 million extra that the federal government had given towards this project because it won’t be GST exempt. Tasmania won’t get that money when it comes to its GST contributions in the future. And it’s Labor and Liberal politicians dudding Tasmanians out of funding that could be spent on the things that matter most.
Journalist – unidentified
Again, what are the funding implications of not getting the GST exemption for the stadium grant?
Vica Bayley
Well, the $240 million was never given for the stadium itself. The Premier has always been tricky with his figures about how this money will make a contribution towards building the stadium. It was given for housing and wharf upgrades and other initiatives, but this is a double whammy. This means that Tasmanians, not only will they not get the $240 million to build a stadium, if ever it goes ahead, they won’t get the $240 million full stop.
And it means that we won’t have that $240 million to spend on the things that Tasmanians are crying out for: investments in our public hospitals, in our public schools, making public transport free and assisting renters in our cost of living crisis. This is duddingTasmanians out of 200 plus million dollars, and it should be another nail in the coffin of the stadium.
Journalist – unidentified
Is Tasmania effectively paying for the entire stadium now?
Vica Bayley
No one should believe Premier Rockliff’s promise to cap the spending and it’s an admission that the the stadium costs will blow out and the taxpayer will be up for every single cent. It means that the federal government’s contribution itself will also not go towards the stadium because we will get less money when it comes to GST payments into the future.
Journalist – unidentified
Even if it was that 715 mil which obviously you guys are saying it won’t be, and that was that was all the contributions – federal state AFL. It was always going to be some sort of private capital; the Premier’s now saying that his private capital has to make up any blowout. Is that still an option?
Vica Bayley
This is the project that’s been projected by the government’s own figures to lose $300 million over 20 years. What private sector is going to invest in a loss making venture? It’s delusional from the premier to spin this to the Tasmanian people. He’s trying to trick the Tasmanian people into believing that he can cover the costs of this stadium when it’s absolutely the taxpayer that’s going to be on the hook for every single cent of the cost blowouts going forward.
Tasmanian Times
Given that we’ve got $240 million carved out of our GST but tagged Macquarie Point, what would the Greens like to see on this site? Or what process would you like to see to develop plans for Macquarie Point?
Vica Bayley
There was many, many conversations and many, many years of considerations and consultations that went into mapping out a plan for this site. There is an alternative vision for this site, and it’s the Premier that has plonked his vision of a stadium onto a site where it won’t fit. This revelation that the GST calculations won’t be exempt should be another nail in the coffin for this proposal. Government should be getting on with the job of providing alternative visions and options for Macquarie Point.
Journalist – unidentified
So just to be clear, even if the Premier was able to cap his contribution at 375 mil and find this private money, the Greens wouldn’t support the stadium?
Vica Bayley
The Greens are unequivocally opposed to the stadium at Macquarie Point. It’s a billion dollars that can be spent on other things that Tasmanians are crying out for desperately in a cost of living crisis, things like health care, education, public transport and cost of living relief. And this is a site that’s too special to be dominated by a gigantic stadium that Tasmanians neither want nor need.
Tasmanian Times
Have you read the geotechnical report that was commissioned by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation that said, and I quote, “this site is suitable for lightweight structures only”?
Vica Bayley
I have seen that statement. There’s a whole raft of planning, heritage, geotechnical and other issues associated with this site. That’s why it was utterly ludicrous to allow Tassie’s AFL team that everybody supports to be hitched to a gigantic stadium here on this site that doesn’t fit, won’t work, and Tasmanians neither want or need.
Journalist – unidentified
The Government announced today they’ll be supporting Tasmanians who own antique firearms, basically saying they recognise the amendments they made earlier like recently were actually a mistake. There’ll be no licensing requirements for antique firearms manufactured before January 1900. What do the Greens make of this?
Vica Bayley
Well, this is a shocking decision. This is the Liberals again during an election time promising something that shouldn’t happen. In 2018 they promised the shooting lobby that they would weaken gun laws and they’re doing it again now. This is a shocking decision that puts popular politics ahead of public safety. It goes completely against the grain of the advice of the Police Commissioner.
The police have been unequivocal in their advice that these kinds of firearms are a risk to the community. Firearms, whether they be replica or antique, can be used to intimidate, to threaten, to commit crimes. And the Police Commissioner was unequivocal in her advice and her decision that these weapons should be regulated properly and adequately. For the Police Minister come out during an election, pledging popular politics ahead of public safety, it’s a despicable decision and the premier should intervene.
Journalist – unidentified
They said they’ve listened and accept that the changes that were introduced do not get the balance right. Do you think it’s just more about the timing?
Vica Bayley
He’s certainly not listening to the Police Commissioner who was unequivocal in her advice that these kinds of firearms are a threat to public safety. They can be used to intimidate, to threaten, to commit crimes and the police were unequivocal in their advice that they should be regulated better. This is weakening gun laws during an election campaign. It’s unacceptable. The Liberals tried to do it in 2018, and backed away, and the Premier should intervene this time.
Journalist – unidentified
Replica firearms are banned. Why allow antique ones?
Vica Bayley
Replica firearms are banned because they can be used to threaten, intimidate and commit crimes. And the same goes for antique firearms. That’s exactly the advice from the Police Commissioner. This is a bad decision that puts popular politics ahead of public safety and Premier Rockliff really should intervene urgently and ensure that our gun laws are not weakened this election.
Journalist – unidentified
Just last month, we had police coming in saying “oh we’ve got these new changes, they’re going to make the community safer [inaudible]” there previously wasn’t ammunition for antique firearms, now there is ammunition. And then a month later, in an election, Rockliff Liberal team says “Oh no, [inaudible], we’re going to weaken it again.”
Vica Bayley
People should make no mistake, this is Liberal politicians ignoring the advice of the police and undermining public safety by bowing to the gun lobby and weakening our gun safety laws. This is a bad decision and Premier Rockliff should intervene.
Tasmanian Times
The report today for the Federal Branch of Australian Education Union – ‘Ending the Funding Capital Divide’ – showed that in the decade to 2021, Tasmania spent less per student on public education than any other jurisdiction. What’s your response to that?
Vica Bayley
We all know that public education is woefully underfunded. And that’s why so many Tasmanians are outraged about projects like a stadium at Macquarie Point, a billion dollars that could be spent on the things that really matter to Tasmanians. Things like education and properly funding our public schools.
Public schools are where the majority of our children are educated. It’s where the leaders, the innovators, the creators are born for the future. And it is incumbent upon governments to make sure that there is adequate funding going into those those schools. It’s impossible to fund public education, public health, public housing, and other public services, when we’re putting our priorities into projects such as the Macquarie Point stadium.
