Ms O’CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Mr Speaker, I note that the Premier did not answer the question.
Premier, you were ordered by this House to table on 1 June all advice received from all government agencies about your billion-dollar stadium. On that date, apparently you thought you could get away with withholding key documents without explanation and that nobody would notice. What a miscalculation, Premier. Unlike you, the majority of this House is invested in transparency and we know a dodgy trick when we see one. You and your ministers have tried to retrospectively make a blanket claim of Cabinet-in-confidence for those documents you failed to provide, except for those surprise extras tabled today.
Mr Ferguson – Better on the public record.
Ms O’CONNOR – Premier, this claim is so ludicrous it would be funny if the situation was not so serious.
Mr Ferguson – Google it.
Mr SPEAKER – Order, the member will be heard in silence.
Ms O’CONNOR – Premier, we believe you have shown a clear contempt for this parliament and everything it represents. How can this House or the Tasmanian people ever trust anything you say again?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I absolutely reject the member for Clark’s assertions and her question. She is playing politics as well. Quite clearly, the RTI indicated that the Treasury advisory was provided to Cabinet and therefore not available for release. The three documents I tabled today are already public. Had they been brought to my attention on the day as a result of Motion No. 125, I would have tabled them.
This has been the most open and transparent project I can think of in my 21 years of parliament because I recognise the public interest in such a key stadium infrastructure.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER – Order. Members on my left who are mumbling are on thin ice.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I recognise the public interest in this key stadium infrastructure and what it will bring to Tasmania and Tasmanians, particularly young Tasmanians. That is why I have fought and will continue to fight for this project. I will not back down. I have conviction. I want Tasmanians to have the best possible future. It is about the stadia infrastructure, growing our economy and funding those essential services that Tasmanians care about.
Government members – Hear, hear.
Mr ROCKLIFF – That is why we are spending $8.3 million on average every day over the next four years on health.
Government members interjecting.
Ms O’Byrne – So you can only mumble on the right-hand side, Mr Speaker?
Mr SPEAKER – Order.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Every 45 days we will spend $375 million, which is our one-off on the stadium. That puts it into context.
Those opposite really have to be honest with the Tasmanian community. You are making politics while the sun shines, but at some point in the future your chickens will have to come home to roost. Your membership and your Labor supporters are disgusted in you. You know that.
Members interjecting.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I get feedback that there are a lot of Labor members who want this team and the stadium infrastructure associated with it. They want the jobs – all the tradies out there. Mind you, there were not too many tradies out there constructing things between 2010 and 2014 when you lost 10 000 jobs. Over the last 10 years we have grown the economy to support 56 000 new jobs, all those new tradies. They are looking to the next thing and they are looking for leadership to make sure they have a government that is backing them and prepared to make the tough decisions to keep them employed.
Ms White – Recession.
Mr ROCKLIFF – You can talk about recession all you like and talk the place down. That is typical of you and Labor. You talk the place down every single time.
Members interjecting.
Ms O’Byrne – You know you’re on the record the entire time you’re in opposition.
Mr SPEAKER – Member for Bass, order.
Mr ROCKLIFF – As Premier of this state, and all my ministers, and indeed –
Ms O’BYRNE – Point of order, Mr Speaker. I draw your attention to the need to be equitable. Interjections on this side are called out while interjections on the other side are ignored. I ask that you apply a fair hand.
Mr SPEAKER – Order. That is not a point of order. I called you to order because you were interjecting. If you interject again, or reflect on the Speaker, I will ask you to leave. Premier, please continue.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We are a government that talks this place up, not down. We talk about growing the economy and employing people. We talk about jobs, not recessions to talk the place down. We are talking about the projects that governments and private industry can invest in to keep employing Tasmanians and fund those essential services that Tasmanians care about. That is what we are about. That is why we are not backing down and being scared off by those opposite who are too gutless to make a decision.
What we are about is vision: putting forward projects. Yes, they are controversial, we recognise that, but they will be good for the economy, good for jobs, and good not only for employing people but growing the economy and allowing us to fund those essential services that Tasmanians care about. We are about talking this place up, building things, not talking this place down and blocking things like the Labor Party.
