Media release – Andrew Jenner, JLN MHA for Lyons, 20 January 2025
Andrew Jenner: the government must start substantively dealing with the stadium’s issues
The AFL is playing the Tasmanian parliament like an orchestra and the Government, Labor and at least one independent are happily replaying the AFL theme song, rather than standing up for Tasmania’s public interest.
The Gruen report, commissioned only because of the Government’s post-election deal with the JLN, has helped expose the shady details of the billion-dollar white elephant stadium project.
However, the deal signed with the JLN did not specify who should conduct the stadium project review.
The independent assessor, Dr Nicholas Gruen, was chosen by the Government on the basis of his outstanding credentials, not any pre-existing stance on the stadium.
Dr Gruen was paid to forensically examine the stadium project and his findings were explicit: the claimed benefits were overblown, the costs under-counted, the costs will be considerably more than $1 billion, and taxpayers are going to have to pay far more than the Premier’s claimed $375 million.
Needless to say, the Gruen truths concerning the white elephant stadium project were not what the pro-stadium push wanted or were capable of answering, so they resorted to the last refuge of the playground bully – attack the man, not the ball.
Rather than deal substantively with the issues the report outlined, the Government, with open support from its independent ally, have been working overtime to discredit Dr Gruen, one of Australia’s most respected economists.
The argument that the AFL are tough negotiators, and therefore the stadium deal was never going to favour us, reflects entirely the wrong attitude when approaching any negotiation—especially one of this magnitude, with consequences for the entire state. Suggesting it was simply the inevitable price for securing an AFL team is absurd.
The Member for Franklin and President of the Southern Football League, David O’Byrne’s op-ed last week made it clear he isn’t interested in the facts. He has a dream, and he doesn’t care how much it costs or who pays. On his own admission he hasn’t even spoken to Dr Gruen.
Mr. O’Byrne’s assertion that Gruen overlooked the 1,500-seat function centre—and his incorrect claim that it ‘will be more than double the size of the city’s largest venues’—doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Let’s look at the facts: Mac02 has a seated capacity of 1,700 and a standing capacity of 3,000, Wrest Point can accommodate 1,650 and the Grand Chancellor 1,100. Not only is the stadium function centre a long way short of double the capacity of these existing venues, it doesn’t even match two out of the three.
The Tasmanian Parliament is elected by the voters of Tasmania to represent the public interests of all Tasmanians. This is not happening.
The record suggests that Mr O’Byrne’s claim that Tasmanians can have it all – a shiny new shrine to the AFL paid for by an ever-deepening ocean of public debt, together with a growing economy to fund first class services in health, education, housing, child protection and all the rest.
Really– The government can’t even build a port on time and with seven years notice .
As Saul Eslake has pointed out, in ten years Tasmania has been reduced to the poorhouse of Australia. Productivity is terrible. We are poorer than other Australians, and the earnings gap between Tasmania and the rest of the country is the widest it has been in more than 30 years.
While the Government is focussed on building a billion-dollar stadium for an AFL team which will consist of predominantly interstate players, Tasmanians also are older, sicker and far less well educated that other Australians, and we die at a younger age.
Instead of parroting AFL propaganda, Tasmania’s Government must concentrate on improving our education results, which the whole world knows are the entry ticket to higher lifetime earnings, repair our health system and look after our frontline workers – that would really kick a goal for Tasmania.
Media release – Kristie Johnston, independent MHA for Clark, 20 January 2025
Response to Gruen Report
It is a truth universally acknowledged that usually government consultants pander to whatever outcome their client wants. That’s how they continue to get work. So it is refreshing, and indeed rare, to have Dr Nicholas Gruen, as a consultant selected by the government provide an honest and independent report.
The Gruen report provides many inconvenient truths for the Government, Labor and Labor MP turned independent David O’Byrne.
Let’s be clear. As it stands Liberal only with the Labor’s support can vote the stadium through Parliament’s Lower House. So Labor is on the hook here too and should be clear with the community about what their position actually is.
But Dr Nicholas Gruen and his inconvenient truths have been smeared by this stadium-at-any-cost coalition. They’ve dodged dealing substantively with the issues and that’s just not good enough.
“I have had the benefit of a full briefing from Dr Gruen on his report and am confident he addresses the concerns raised by Mr O’Byrne, including the capacity and projected benefit of the convention centre, and his assumption the AFL deal can’t be renegotiated. His methodology is sound.”
“Tasmania’s economic outlook is negative and only getting worse. We are on course for a credit rating downgrade and an interest rate hike on our already mounting debt, unless something drastic happens to change our spending. We can’t afford this stadium.”
“There’s no evidence this Government or Labor can deliver this stadium. Its benefits are overstated, its costs underestimated and it’s in the wrong spot. We instead need a realistic plan to tackle our crippling debt as well as to fund first-class services in health, education, housing, child protection and more, before we fall off a financial cliff.”
“This madness must stop. The deal must be renegotiated and the interest of the Tasmanian community must be put first.”
Media release – David O’Byrne, independent for Franklin, 20 January 2025
Statement from David O’Byrne in response to statements today from JLN MP for Lyons Mr Jenner and Ind MP for Clark Ms Johnston
Mr Gruen is a respected economist and at no stage have I personally attacked him. My opinion piece in the Mercury was merely a critique of elements of his report and raising questions around some of the underlying assumptions within it.
My critique stands and I urge people to read the report and my opinion piece to make up their own mind.
I will not engage in a slanging match with other MPs in this manner. I respect their view, but I respectfully disagree.
Gordon Bradbury
January 21, 2025 at 11:10
If this AFL stadium is ultimately approved by the Tasmanian parliament it will be proof beyond any reasonable doubt that the Tasmanian political system is broken and corrupt and in need of immediate urgent reform.
The two party political system has clearly failed. It has been hijacked by the power and money brigade – and we know who they are!
2025 will be the make or break year for Tasmania!
Thinker
January 23, 2025 at 10:08
Gordon Bradbury is right.
Surely it’s becoming increasingly obvious that Tasmanians can’t properly administer their own state because the essential qualities of intelligence and experience are not clearly evident in most of its citizens. The ignorant and the uneducated are also the source of politicians so those in that office may well be of the same low standard. This makes Tasmania’s simpleminded politicians exceptionally easy targets for business interests, particularly Big Business interests, who find that fooling our politicians is just so, so easy – and lucrative!
Many new new settlers coming to cool and beautiful Tasmania are aghast and incredulous at the appalling living conditions here, with Tasmania described by some as ‘a sociological cesspit’ and if there’s no escape for them then they have to endure at least a few torments indefinitely.
But this state’s administration by and from Victoria would quickly be sabotaged by state and business conflicts of interest. Renegade exploitative capitalism has no conscience whatever, and it is obviously determined to recklessly destroy this planet for selfish gain while it can.
Perhaps Tasmania could be spared further encroaching troubles through being administered for a time by the Federal government as the ‘Tasmanian Territory’ .. even though our Northern Territory (1911) has yet to become North Australia.