Ferguson Under Fire over Ferries Fiasco

Media release – Dean Winter MP, Labor Leader, 8 October 2024

Premier must act after Grainger’s testimony

Michael Grainger’s testimony demands the Premier finally emphatically and properly act on Michael Ferguson. The evidence presented demonstrates that Mr Ferguson was fully aware of and responsible for the biggest infrastructure stuff up in Tasmanian history, then he misled Parliament about his knowledge and involvement in it.

Mr Grainger today confirmed TT-Line knew and told Minister Ferguson before the caretaker period that the Berth 3 works would not be completed by August – contrary to evidence previously provided by Minister Ferguson.

He confirmed TT-Line told the Minister about the serious and real nature of RMC’s financial issues in October and had developed an initial negotiating position in January – that TT-Line could not afford to pay more for the ships – contrary to statements Mr Ferguson made in Parliament on 21 May.

Mr Grainger stated that TT-Line believed the contract price for the new ships first changed in April 2022, with an €8 million payment to RMC, and told the Minister at that time – contrary to the Minister’s statement in December that year that “there is not a view that the price has changed”.

Mr Grainger said TT–Line advised the Cabinet Sub-Committee comprising the Premier, Minister Ferguson and Minister Abetz of the safety issues at Berth 1 prior to the Ministerial Direction to proceed with the Berth 1 works being issued in June – casting serious doubt on their judgement and competence.

And Mr Grainger confirmed he had regularly informed Minister Ferguson, for years, of the issues TT-Line was having with TasPorts – and yet nothing was done.

Misleading Parliament and Parliamentary committees are a breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct and contrary to the Standing Orders of the House of Assembly. Minister Ferguson must be held accountable by the Premier.

There has been a repeated, long-term failure of Minister Ferguson to provide the oversight and management required for such a critical project as Shareholder Minister and member of the Cabinet Sub-Committee overseeing this critical economic project. It is not appropriate that he remain in those roles.

The Premier must act on Minister Ferguson. If he doesn’t, the Parliament will have a very big decision to make next week.

Media release – Helen Burnet MP, Greens Transport spokesperson, 8 October 2024

Ferguson exposed for further failures in Spirits saga

The months-long Spirits of Tasmania saga has exposed Michael Ferguson’s failures as Minister as he oversaw costs blowouts and delays on the delivery of the new ferries and berths. In the Public Accounts Committee hearing today, further failures of Minister Ferguson have been revealed in evidence from the former TT Line chair and outgoing CEO – including the potential the Minister has misled Parliament.

This is perhaps the biggest infrastructure debacle in Tasmania’s history, but Michael Ferguson has not been transparent about this colossal stuff up. We’ve seen information gradually extracted from the Minister over months – despite his best efforts at obfuscation. Now the former Chair and outgoing CEO of the TT Line have contradicted statements from Minister Ferguson about what he knew during the new Spirit of Tasmania and berths debacle.

The evidence provided under oath by both these witnesses raises big questions about whether Michael Ferguson has misled Parliament about project costs, delays to port upgrades, and when he knew the shipbuilder was in financial trouble.

These senior TT Line figures say Minister Ferguson was made aware of the serious financial issues facing shipbuilder RMC in October last year, and of a formal negotiating position regarding additional costs in January. They also said they had continually raised concerns about delays to the port upgrade project. This is a very different picture than the one painted by the Minister in previous statements to Parliament.

Whether the Minister has misled Parliament is a major issue. But there’s also now new questions about why Michael Ferguson pressed ahead with a plan for an interim port solution, despite advice from the TT Line that it may be unsafe.

Michael Ferguson has been the sole responsible shareholder Minister during the period which saw cost blowouts and delays in delivering the new ferries and berths. His ineptitude in managing this critical project has been shocking, and now he has a lot of questions to answer about whether he’s been transparent with Parliament – especially given he’s still a shareholder Minister to the ferries debacle he’s overseen.

Media release – Jacqui Lambie Network, 8 October 2024

JACQUI LAMBIE NETWORK CALLS FOR MICHAEL FERGUSON TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

Mike Grainger and Bernard Dwyer confirm what Senator Lambie has said all along: Michael Ferguson is incompetent and must be held accountable.

As the Treasurer, Michael Ferguson remains a stakeholder minister of the TT-Line. He is even on the TT-Line Sub-Committee of Cabinet, with Premier Rockliff and Minister Abetz overseeing the mop and bucket clean-up response to the mess he has created.

The evidence presented by TT-Line’s former Chair and outgoing CEO tells a story about a Minister who unilaterally stuffed up, and he must be held accountable!

It is beyond comprehension that this kind of blunder goes without any accountability.

Mike Grainger and Bernard Dwyer are good people who have devoted so much to the TT-Line. Their skills and knowledge are irreplaceable. Both deserve full recognition for being undeterred by the Rockliff Government, which sought to stop them from telling the truth.

Quotes attributed to Senator Lambie:

“Michael Ferguson’s slap across the chops by being removed from the infrastructure portfolio didn’t achieve anything as he remained the stakeholder minister as the Treasurer, and he even got a new portfolio as a sweetener.”

“I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again: Michael Ferguson is incompetent and must be held accountable.”

“The Tasmanian people deserve better than a minister that duck shoves and throws its government business enterprise to the wolves for his own survival.”

Quotes attributed to Andrew Jenner MP:

“Michael Grainger’s revelations today in the Public Accounts Committee that Minister Ferguson did, in fact, lie to parliament are disappointing, appalling and not what Tasmanians expect from a minister.

“After pressure from the JLN, Minister Ferguson handed over his infrastructure portfolio. I have always stated that if Minister Ferguson was found to have lied to Parliament, then he should resign from his positions. I stand by what I said. It’s what I and many other Tasmanians expect.”