Tasmania’s shadow treasurer Dean Winter has jetted overseas to watch the soccer World Cup as part of a national political delegation, just as parliament prepares to debate the state budget.
Winter’s seat was empty on Wednesday as MPs questioned the government about the budget and a growing integrity scandal.
Business, Industry and Resources Minister Felix Ellis raised the absence during a question about deer management from crossbench MP Carlo Di Falco.
Ellis praised the crossbench for taking an interest in the budget.
“Which can I say is far more than the shadow treasurer, who is not here today and not involved with the budget process because he’s overseas at the World Cup soccer,” he said.
“This is extraordinary that he couldn’t even be bothered to turn up while the rest of these good people are actually asking questions about the budget and about matters that are important for Tasmanians.”
Speaker Jacquie Petrusma twice told Ellis to return to the question about deer before he answered it.
In a statement to Pulse, Dean Winter said he “got the opportunity” to take his 10-year-old son “on a trip of a lifetime” to see the Socceroos take on the United States in Seattle.
“I am funding the trip myself, taxpayers are not paying,”he said.
“I want to thank the Liberal government for granting me a pair so that I could attend.”
Winter said the trip is part of the Football Australia political delegation.
“This includes meeting with senior representatives from Microsoft, Amazon and the Californian Government, as well as the Australian Ambassador to the United States,” Winter said.
The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
