The Tasmanian Government has apologised to a Launceston restaurant owner after a function they had organised to take place at the venue was cancelled following the owner’s appearance at a Labor press conference.
The incident unfolded when Mudbar owner Don Cameron stood alongside Labor leader Dean Winter to discuss the Spirit of Tasmania ferry debacle, prompting the government to withdraw a dinner booking with the Hawthorn Football Club scheduled for August 23.
“I am advised that following a media report, a staff member in the minister’s office sought to alter a restaurant reservation that was made through a third party with a view that it would be uncomfortable for the minister,” Premier Jeremy Rockliff said in state parliament on Thursday.
“It became clear into the evening that the decision had caused issues for Mr Cameron and the next morning the minister’s office requested the reservation be reinstated.”
“We apologise for any issues that were created for Mr Cameron… [Minister Street] will be passing on that apology directly.”
Sports Minister Nic Street initially claimed ignorance about the cancellation during Budget Estimates hearings, a statement he maintains did not constitute misleading parliament.
Street, who will travel to Launceston on Monday to dine at Mudbar, acknowledged the “error in judgment” and apologised for the booking cancellation.
“My error … is that, when I was told [about the cancellation] as I was leaving work, I did not seek to have that reversed automatically,” he said.
Labor’s Luke Edmunds criticised the government’s handling of the matter, accusing them of punishing a local business for supporting Labor policy.
“This dinner was cancelled by the Government on a whim at short notice, all because somebody suggested we might want to push the spirits a bit harder to back in the tourism industry,” he said.
“This was an operator who said they were having their most difficult year in 40 years and was putting forward a proactive solution to the Government to consider.”
“The first reaction of the Government was to ring him up and say, you’re not getting our business this evening and cancel the event.”
