Focus On Restoring Shipping Service Not Saving Incompetent Minister
The Tasmanian Greens today called for Premier Bartlett to cut incompetent Minister Sturges adrift and focus on restoring a decent shipping service to the Bass Strait Islands rather than saving his incompetents Minister’s political hide.
Greens Member for Bass Kim Booth MP said that Premier David Bartlett must step in today and guarantee that a decent transport service will be provided to Flinders and King Island communities, no ifs or buts, following TasPorts decision to bar Southern Shipping vessels from their port facilities until outstanding berthing fees are paid.
“The Greens have been raising ongoing and serious concerns about the Southern Shipping contract with the government for over a year, but instead of heeding the warning then, matters have been allowed to deteriorate to crisis point,” Mr Booth said.
“My motion for a parliamentary enquiry into both the level of service and compliance with contract in regard to Flinders Island shipping services was defeated by the government and now 12 months later the inevitable has occurred.”
“Transport Minister Sturges has been dogged by controversy and charges of incompetence in all of his portfolio areas and the termination of Southern Shippings license to use any Tasports port has brought to crisis point the whole matter of shipping access to the Bass Strait islands.”
“As Premier, David Bartlett needs to get out of his thought bubble and guarantee the restoration of a modern world shipping service to the Island Communities.”
“Mr Sturges has just achieved a gold medal in incompetence by the extraordinary feat of having the company that he is shareholder minister for (Tasports) terminate port access for the shipping service, that he as Minister is responsible for the contract that require it to perform in the first place.”
“Premier Bartlett must now do his Minister’s job and explain how his government will fix this sorry mess that his serially incompetent Minister has created.”
Kim Booth MP Greens Member for Bass
