Premier Jeremy Rockliff is under fire from both Labor and the Greens after the government revealed how the Macquarie Point stadium will be funded, prompting claims he has broken a key election promise.
The Tasmanian Government announced yesterday it will fast-track the stadium project using a design and construct approach, ditching the previously floated public–private partnership model.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff claimed Rockliff “probably wouldn’t be here as Premier if he’d been honest with Tasmanians in the election campaign”.
“Jeremy Rockliff promised Tasmanians not a red cent more than $375 million would be coming out of their taxpayers’ money,” Woodruff said.
“People were outraged. They wanted money to be spent instead on health and housing.”
“They were outraged at the idea that the government Jeremy Rockliff was so weak as to give in to the AFL and build a stadium that we don’t need and don’t want.”
Labor’s Shadow Treasurer Josh Willie echoed the statement, also accusing the Premier of walking away from his election commitments, though reaffirming Labor’s general support for the stadium.
“He said that it would be $375 million and not a red cent more of Tasmanian taxpayers’ money that went into the stadium. We found out today that that wasn’t true,” Willie said.
“If you sell government assets, that is government funding. So he has broken his promise.”
Both Willie and Woodruff hinted at political consequences, with Woodruff saying the Premier should “pull his support for the stadium” or “shouldn’t be Premier any longer”.
“We’ve got the support of over 200,000 Tasmanians. We’ve got a club. We’re ready to go. There’s no way they can stop us at this point,” Woodruff said.
Business, Industry and Resources Minister Eric Abetz rejected the criticism, insisting the government hasn’t shifted its position.
“The government has been entirely consistent,” he said, adding “capital expenditure on the Macquarie Point multipurpose stadium is capped at $375 million”.
“Nothing has changed.”
According to the government, the decision to borrow the funds instead came after a market-sounding exercise, which tested industry interest in different funding and delivery models.
The Macquarie Point Development Corporation will take on the debt and work to attract private investment, while meeting key project deadlines, Abetz said.
Legislation to enable the stadium’s construction is expected to hit parliament in the coming weeks.
Willie flagged Labor may use parliamentary tools, including “adjourning debates, ordering the production of documents, amending the bill”, to push for greater transparency.
A formal procurement process is expected to begin once the legislation is passed.
