Bombshell revelations from newly released documents show the business case for the Liberals’ stadium is built on the assumption of new taxes – despite the Liberals repeatedly ruling this out.
Produced in response to a Tasmanian Planning Commission request, a new KPMG report about the stadium says they “explicitly assume that any government support provided is fully financed by new taxes” in modelling the financial impact of the project.
It goes on to say that investment in the stadium won’t stop the government from committing to new non-stadium projects in future – “as long as these are funded by raising additional taxes”. It also says the benefits of investing in other infrastructure needs would be “almost certainly larger than the benefits of equivalent investment in a stadium.”
Meanwhile, Labor’s silence is conspicuous as the case against the stadium deepens and more truths and real-world analysis reveals this is an economic and community infrastructure train wreck.
Greens Member for Hobart Cassy O’Connor said:
“These bombshell revelations show the Liberal and Labor parties’ push to build the stadium will go one of two ways. Either it will mean new taxes on Tasmanians to pay for the project, or it will mean damage to the state’s finances and our ability to invest in other critical areas.”
“This Catch 22 situation shows why the idea of building a billion-dollar plus stadium is such a bad idea. But there is another way forward – scrapping the stadium.
“Even this new report – produced to support the stadium – admits this money would be better spent on areas of critical need, like hospitals and schools. That’s exactly what the Rockliff government should be doing, and what the majority of Tasmanians are demanding.”
Greens Member for Clark Vica Bayley said:
“Yet again the Liberals have been exposed for their shameless stadium spin. This time it’s the project’s business case, which we now know is built on assumptions that directly contradict the government’s own policies.
“Unlike the Liberals and Labor, the Greens strongly oppose the stadium. But surely all parties should be able to agree the public must not be misled about such an important issue. Disturbingly, that’s not what is happening.
“On one hand the Liberals are relying on a business case that assumes new taxes will be used to limit stadium’s impact on the state budget and other spending. On the other they keep saying there will be no new taxes. They can’t have it both ways – it’s completely dishonest.”
