Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Your government has a growing public reputation for arrogance, secrecy, a sustained recklessness towards the state’s finances, privatisation of state assets with no mandate, public sector sackings, and a near $2 billion stadium you are threatening to jam through this place without proper assessment or public input. If you think Tasmanians are angry about the stadium now, wait until you and Labor try to pass a fast‑track approval bill against the wishes of the overwhelming majority.
A dud deal signed behind closed doors with the AFL, a bespoke rubber-stamp bill for your Stony Rise developer mates, development assessment panels to override local government and communities – it seems there is no planning process your government will not attempt to corrupt or subvert. Given this sorry track record, why should Tasmanians trust you to do anything other than deliver for the big end of town and your donors?
Mr Abetz – Time, time.
The SPEAKER – I will call the Premier to the question, and I can tell the time too, thank you, Mr Abetz.
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I reject a number of the assertions made in the preamble to the actual question right at the end. In fact, I reject all of them because they are incorrect.
I know that your position on the stadium has been consistent. Our position has been consistent as well. We have been very open and transparent the whole way on the matters you raised about a right-sized public service, potential divestment of public assets, the stadia infrastructure and the pathway to the planning process.
Mr Bayley – Special legislation? Last week.
The SPEAKER – Deputy leader of the Greens, everyone else is being very quiet.
Mr ROCKLIFF – The stadium and the 4000 jobs that will be created in construction ‑ ongoing jobs ‑ a huge boost to our community, building it on vacant land and, in the process, getting rid of sewage works, which you obviously love to keep – this is a huge opportunity and an opportunity we cannot lose. I implore you to put aside the politics for once. I said yesterday on SEN radio with Brent Costelloe how important this infrastructure is not only for our own team, but for young people. It is actually not about me or you. It is about the aspiration of our young people right across Tasmania. In every single circumstance or background, our young kids need aspiration and a pathway to achievement.
I have seen that in the MyState Arena investment and the investment we are making in the JackJumpers, where we have young kids engaged in basketball more than ever before. It has created a challenge for government in the fact that we need more basketball courts, but what a great challenge that is where participation in basketball has increased by 10 per cent or more. What about the Auskick participation that is going through the roof as well? Do you seriously want to destroy all of that? I find it unfathomable that you want to destroy all that.
My message to Tasmanians on the stadium infrastructure is very simple: parliament will have its say.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary from the Leader of the Greens.
Dr WOODRUFF – The Premier exhorted us to put aside the politics around the stadium. Does that mean that you are considering dropping your idea of special legislation and you will allow this to go through the Project of State Significance (POSS) process?
The SPEAKER – I will allow the Premier to answer the question, possibly close to a new question.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I am canvassing all options. As I openly said to you. I actually want to get something done –
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Leader of the Greens, minister Ellis, and members on my right, and Mr O’Byrne, the member for Franklin – thank you. The Premier has 45 seconds to address the supplementary
Mr ROCKLIFF – and stand up to political organisations like yours that oppose every single damn thing that goes on in Tasmania and not only oppose things that go ahead, but want to stop things that are already employing many thousands of Tasmanians. I will canvass all options because I am passionate about this project and passionate about the opportunity for hospitality and the growth in private sector businesses in and around the stadium infrastructure – actually in the whole of Tasmania when it comes to this project.
Yes, I am considering my options, but I can guarantee you this: the submissions due in on 8 May will be taken account of irrespective of the POSS process or an enabling legislation process.
The SPEAKER – The Premier’s time for answering the supplementary has expired.
