Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, Chair. Premier, I’ve got a couple of questions to ask you about the State Coastal Policy Validation Bill, but I just wanted to follow up on something you said earlier up regarding the pulp mill and that it was a very heavily scrutinised project, and you were involved in its scrutiny. Do you see some parallels between John Gay’s plan for the Tamar Valley with a pulp mill and the stadium? It’s a bad deal facilitated by a massive public subsidy, unpopular. Do you see those parallels?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I couldn’t think of two more different projects. There is a lot of light between those two projects. Most of the focus of your good self and your colleagues at that time was environmental aspects of the pulp mill, including stock and indeed effluent and emissions. There was a great deal of scrutiny particularly in those particular areas. I draw no parallel between the two.
Ms O’CONNOR – Well, you did.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Well, I draw no parallel between the two except to say that this is a project that is the most heavily scrutinised project that I can remember, including the pulp mill.
Ms O’CONNOR – Premier, did you, as the minister responsible for the State Policies and Projects Act have any meetings with the proposed pilitika/Robbins Island Wind Farm developer ACEN about their planned wharf to Robbins Island across the dunes in contravention of the State Coastal Policy.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I recall visiting Robbins Island maybe earlier this year from memory, maybe late last year.
Ms O’CONNOR – Did you see all those beautiful birds?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I have been to Robbins Island before. There has been quite some time between those visits. In fact, probably two decades. And, you know, we discussed a range of matters.
Ms O’CONNOR – So just to confirm, you went to Robbins Island and met the proponent there at Robbins Island. Is that what you’re saying?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Yes.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay. And in those conversations, did you make a commitment that government would introduce special retrospectively validating provisions in order to enable ACEN’s wharf onto Robbins Island?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I don’t recall making any commitments. I just listened to get a better appreciation of the project.
Ms O’CONNOR – So who made the decision that there needed to be a State Coastal Policy Validation Bill? Was that you as the minister responsible?
Mr ROCKLIFF – That would have been cabinet.
Ms O’CONNOR – Well, who took it to cabinet? You’re the minister responsible.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We don’t talk about cabinet matters.
Ms O’CONNOR – No, but you’re the minister responsible. You can say you took it to cabinet. You’re not talking about anything that happened in cabinet. I wouldn’t ask you that.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Minister Duigan.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay. Can I just check, minister, the bill had your name on it, yet you didn’t take it through the House of Assembly?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Correct.
Ms O’CONNOR – Your government pretended it was urgent and was prepared to hold up the passage of the Budget to have it debated. The council had different ideas. Where is the evidence? I refer specifically to any legal advice that you have that indicates this validation bill, this special deal for a private developer was necessary?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Take me through that again. Sorry.
Ms O’CONNOR – Where is the evidence, given that you didn’t apparently take it to cabinet, you didn’t take it through the house.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Well, I’m just getting some clarification on that. I know there had been some engagement with the minister on this, but –
Ms O’CONNOR – I mean, we’ve been briefed by the department on the sort of background to the bill, so I don’t think any committee members here need to hear more of that. Well, we’ve been briefed. We don’t need that sort of thing. But there’s been no evidence base provided for the Bill. My final question here is can you confirm that representatives of Philippines-based company ACEN, have been guests of yours or other ministers at Liberal Party fundraisers?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I don’t talk about Liberal Party fundraisers, Ms O’Connor.
Ms O’CONNOR – Well, they have, haven’t they? You’ve had ACEN at your special meet the premier $4,000 a-ticket sort of functions like you did with the fish farming industry.
Mr ROCKLIFF – That’s all a matter for the party, Ms O’Connor. The party organisation.
Ms O’CONNOR – Don’t you use government offices to have these functions?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Government offices?
Ms O’CONNOR – Don’t you go up there on the eleventh floor and have these functions?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I think you’re –
Ms O’CONNOR – Publicly-funded building for example. You say it’s party business but it’s not. It’s not just party business.
Mr ROCKLIFF – It is party business.
Ms O’CONNOR – Well you’ve got corporations there to lobby you and other ministers and our information is that ACEN has attended those functions where they get your ear and other minister’s ears and then suddenly they get a validation Bill.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Every Tasmanian has my ear.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, not at $4,000 a-head.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Every Tasmanian has my ear as I go around the countryside.
Ms O’CONNOR – Sure.
