Dr WOODRUFF – Honourable Speaker, Labor makes no sense that the vote that we had then and Labor’s position on a new stadium in Hobart makes no sense to Tasmanians, but the Greens are going to move on because we know we have the majority of Tasmanians behind us. We know that on the words of the motion that we are now voting to – the long-term damage to Tasmania that fundamentally includes the $2 billion of debt that we will bear as a result of a new stadium over the next ten years. We also know that the delivery of major projects which Labor have put in the motion as a key issue is obviously going to be a huge impact on something like trying to build a new stadium in the middle of Hobart. Labor’s position makes no sense, but that is on their heads.
I want to go on a little bit further about my comments about Jeremy Rockliff as Premier in his role with the commission of inquiry. He did undertake important work in establishing the commission and in adopting their recommendations, but there is no doubt that what has happened over the last year since the election is he appears to be pacifying the hard right of his cabinet and backing a position on the commission of inquiry’s recommendations that is unravelling the spirit and the purpose of the recommendations that they made and is undermining the position that he says his government is going to take to fulfil the commission of inquiry.
When the commission of inquiry wrapped up early because they were so concerned that Ashley should close and they were so concerned about out of home care, they knew that to delay closing Ashley beyond 2024 would continue the risk of children being subjected to trauma. They knew that it was such a dangerous place for young people to remain in. That is why they wrapped up early. The response from this government has been continual delay and inaction on closing Ashley, and now what we have is the earliest closing date at 2028, four years later.
We have seen, much worse even, the change that the Premier has allowed to members of his cabinet in bringing in legislation and policy approaches, which utterly contradicts the recommendations from the commission of inquiry. He, through his Cabinet, is now allowing children to be sent there, sent into a place which is still dangerous, where isolation and other restrictive practises still occur, and where he has a ramped up a punitive and damaging approach to young offenders in a range of youth crime initiatives which are again utterly in contradiction to the commission of inquiry’s recommendations.
They are sending more children to Ashley, and they are sending more children into isolation and lockdown, instead of establishing task forces for youth crime that would support young people, funding proper youth services. He is instead putting ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws on the table. These have been called out by the UN, by experts, by advocates as a direct violation of the rights of children. There is no doubt that what we have seen across his government is a backflip on important policies that he committed Tasmanians to take forward. He has backflipped on the stadium – the $375 million cap. Now, what we are seeing is he is unable to control the hard right in his Cabinet and we are seeing policies that are unfolding under his government that backflip on the recommendations of the commission of inquiry.
We do not know what is going to happen next. After the vote in parliament today, we will find out. I will say to Labor that we support this motion because as Tasmanians we do not have confidence in Jeremy Rockliff as Premier.
We do not know from this point, if the motion passes, whether the Liberals will be able to form a government on the numbers in the House. That is to be determined. If they are not able to, then it is Dean Winter as opposition leader who has a choice. He can maintain stability. He can save Tasmania from a costly election.
It is he who needs to stand up and do his best to form a government, a minority government with members of the crossbench by negotiating outcomes with members of the crossbench in the best interest of Tasmanians. The Greens will work in good faith to form an arrangement of minority government. We will always work in the best interest of Tasmanians. We expect Dean Winter, now that he has taken this step, to also put that first and foremost if the opportunity is handed to him.
Tasmanians do not want to go back to a costly election. It has only been one year. Dean Winter, opposition leader, has the call if it falls to his hand to save Tasmanians from an early election. The Greens will be supporting any – will work in good faith in any negotiations if that is what comes to place.
Mr Winter – You censured me a month ago.
Dr WOODRUFF – I just want to finish by saying: Premier, from the stadium, from your move towards privatisation, from your abandonment of treaty, contempt of democratic processes and your secrecy and arrogance of your government, Tasmanians have lost confidence in you – and so, unfortunately, have we.
Time expired.
