Ms BURNET (Clark) – Honourable Speaker, this seeking of leave is necessary.
The SPEAKER – Sorry, if I can correct you, we are on the suspension now.
Ms BURNET – Sorry, the suspension is necessary because this is too important an issue for Tasmanians across this state.This is a continuing, grave situation that the Premier leads us into, and it goes to the heart of how the Premier is leading the government and leading this state.
There is a big question mark, not just for the Greens but for thousands of Tasmanians across the state, who tell us of their concern about where the government, and particularly the Premier, are taking this state. There is intergenerational debt in the face of plenty of economic evidence which, unfortunately, the Premier has dismissed time and time again; there is saddling of thousands of dollars per person, including children, with this intergenerational debt that the Premier is leading us into. It is something we, the Greens, are very concerned about.
When we look at this enabling legislation that the Premier is taking this parliament to to make this decision, it is an abandonment of process. Whether we like it or not, the Project of State Significance process was chosen by the government, and that is being abandoned. This parliament will be forced to make a decision on the stadium. This is a bastardization that not only undermines the faith of Tasmanians in any process, but it also makes it very difficult to think this is a process that is well-considered.
The Tasmanian public have the right to expect better of the Premier than what he is displaying with his burning desire to deliver this stadium. The sense of reason is diminished and he wants to deliver this stadium at any cost. The Greens feel that this motion is important to consider by this House, because we do not have the confidence in the Premier to deliver what he should be delivering for Tasmania.
