Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Once upon a time you promised Tasmanians public funding for your stadium would be capped at $375 million and ‘not a red cent more’. Today we heard from the member for Elwick that your new commitment is cost capped at $875 million. That’s $500 million over, or 50 billion red cents more. Given the monumental scale of your broken promise, will you apologise to the people of Tasmania?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the honourable member for her question. You may well have misspoke when you mentioned 50 billion more.
Dr Woodruff – Red cents more – you should have listened.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Thank you for the help from the Greens.
Members interjecting.
Dr Woodruff – Just a full half a million dollars.
Mr ROCKLIFF – You’re getting closer.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order.
Dr WOODRUFF – Honourable Speaker, Standing Order 45, relevance. I draw the Premier to his deceit and broken promise to Tasmanians. Will you apologise for it?
The SPEAKER – The honourable Premier is the only one who should be speaking right now.
Mr ROCKLIFF – It’s $375 million capital borrowings taken up to $875 million –
Dr Woodruff – Still perpetuating deceit.
The SPEAKER – Dr Woodruff, you can ask a supplementary. Allow the Premier to speak.
Mr ROCKLIFF – With the project being $1.13 billion overall, the state contribution of $875 million including $375 million and borrowings for said project go forward. The cap, should we exceed that, we’ll value-manage the project or seek funds from elsewhere, including our partners within the project, including the federal government, which has already contributed $240 million.
I welcome the very sensible discussions we’ve been able to have and it’s a very difficult decision for members in the other place because there are a lot of differing views on the matter, but it’s important to listen and get an understanding of the areas that individuals feel most concerned about and for us to listen and act on those concerns, because the project, as I’ve said many times, Dr Woodruff, is too important for Tasmania not to proceed. It’s a huge opportunity for us in terms of economics, in terms of jobs, in terms of aspiration, in terms of our own AFL and AFLW teams, and all the other associated private investment that will come with creating a really huge boost to not only the economy but Tasmania’s confidence as well, which can never be underestimated. I’m a big believer that confidence is king and we need to keep driving this state forward.
Dr Woodruff – So you’ll say any mistruth just to barrel your way through.
The SPEAKER – Order. Honourable Leader of the Greens, you can ask a supplementary soon.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I appreciate your engagement along the way too, Dr Woodruff and your deputy leader as well, because as I’ve said, there are people for and against this project. People have asked questions and scrutinised this project as well. For all the scrutiny and all the questions that have been asked –
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – A supplementary question.
Dr WOODRUFF – The member for Elwick said today on the radio that you had told her that costs would not exceed $875 million. Do you accept and will you apologise for that broken promise to Tasmanians of an extra $500 million more of public money?
The SPEAKER – Honourable Premier.
Mr ROCKLIFF – You know very well, Dr Woodruff; we’ve been through this before a number of times about the $375 million capital and the borrowings further –
Dr WOODRUFF – Honourable Speaker, would the Premier please take back his obvious mistruths to the House? It is disgraceful. He perpetuates a lie in this Chamber.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Thank you, your comments are on the record; the Premier has the call.
Dr Woodruff – It is.
The SPEAKER – Honourable Leader of the Greens, I don’t want to have to issue warnings. I ask that the Premier be heard. You can ask another question. You have three more you can ask.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Built into the $1.13 billion, of course, is the $240 million contribution as well. There’s escalation built in, there’s contingency built in as well. The project was assessed under P90, or P90 project; very thorough. I know that should we proceed with the project – and I’m not taking anything for granted –
The SPEAKER – The honourable Premier’s time has expired.
