Labor has launched a petition calling on the state government to bring the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries home.
The opposition’s Deputy Leader Anita Dow says the Spirit “fiasco” has been the state’s “most significant infrastructure stuff-up in generations”.
“Tasmanians are rightly proud of the Spirit of Tasmania vessels. They’re iconic. They’re important not only to our people, but to our local economy,” she said.
“It just doesn’t make sense for our new Spirit IV vessel to be hidden away in Scotland at a cost to Tasmanian taxpayers of $50,000 a week. It’s disgraceful.”
TT-Line Interim Chair Damien Bugg recently said the chances of Spirit IV being leased out until it can enter service in Tasmania in 2027 were slim.
“Everywhere I go, everywhere my colleagues go, Tasmanians tell us that they want their spirit vessel to be brought back to Tasmania,” Dow said.
“It’s on the tip of everybody’s tongue. Nobody wants to see more public taxpayer money wasted on this project.”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff called the petition a ‘stunt’ when he was asked whether or not he would sign it.
“I’m not into stunts and this is what this is,” he said.
“The Spirits will be coming home to Tasmania. Should we not be able to lease the boats out, of course we’ll bring them home.”
“But as I’ve said many times, we’ll be seeking the best opportunity, the value for money for the Tasmanian people.”
