A war of words has erupted between Dean Winter and Eric Abetz after ‘hurricane-force winds’ saw a brand new Spirit of Tasmania vessel break from its moorings in Finland.
Labor leader Dean Winter says that while the incident at the shipyard was “no one’s fault”, it exposes the potential risks of not having the new ships in Tasmania.
“If the vessels are leased, we lose control and anything can happen,” he said.
“They will be operated by an overseas entity with no incentive to keep them in good condition and they will be second hand when they get to Tasmania.”
“Let’s bring our Spirits home. Get our local tradespeople doing the fit out and focus everything we have on getting the new berths ready for summer 2026-27.”
Minister for Transport Eric Abetz coined the opposition leader as “Dean Whinger” and accused him of trying to score political points.
“Due to a hurricane in Finland, he wants to abandon scoping options to put the ferries to work and earn an income for Tasmanians which can then be re-invested in tourism and industry support,” he said.
“He’d rather not even explore the potential for our vital tourism and hospitality sectors to benefit.”
“Dean Winter doesn’t have Tasmanian’s’ best interests at heart, only his own.”
TT-Line is currently working with a broker to find a potential user for the first vessel until it is able to enter service across the Bass Strait in 2027.
