Minister Eric Abetz has launched a scathing attack on the economic report underpinning opposition to Hobart’s Macquarie Point stadium, after it emerged the author consulted only with project critics before taking on the job.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Abetz said economist Dr Nicholas Gruen had failed to disclose meetings with anti-stadium campaigners before being appointed to conduct an independent financial analysis.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet paid $134,866.98 for the report, which included $132,717.75 in wages and fees and $2,149.18 in travel.
“It has now become apparent … that … he had been asked by a staffer in the Jacqui Lambie Network who … for many years was associated with a Greens leftwing think tank, the Australia Institute,” Abetz said.
“She suggested to Dr Gruen that he should talk to a range of people and she then listed this range of people so that he could get a feel for the project that he might be asked to undertake on behalf of the Jacqui Lambie Network.”
“Guess what? You go through the list and they are all opponents of the stadium. This was not declared by Dr Gruen, which, in anybody’s language, allows everybody to say there is or was apprehended bias.”
Dr Gruen has since confirmed the meetings with opponents took place and blamed the failure to declare them on an administrative oversight by his executive assistant.
Abetz claimed Dr Gruen was attempting to downplay the controversy by shifting the blame and failing to notify the government about subsequent changes to his report.
“I am sure he is a good man and a good economist, but it was a terrible misjudgement on his part to consort and consult with people who were known to be against the stadium before taking on the task and then not disclosing that,” he said.
“In any other job, in any other situation, the concept of apprehended bias would have bowled him out immediately.”
“Even if it were the executive assistant’s fault, an apology should have been forthcoming. What is more, the government should have been told.”
The controversial Macquarie Point stadium project has become a flashpoint in Tasmanian politics, with the Greens firmly opposed, while both major parties support the development.
