Independent MLC Meg Webb has delivered a marathon speech against the proposed Macquarie Point stadium, keeping Tasmania’s upper house in session until the early hours of Thursday morning.
The member for Nelson spoke for 3 hours and 27 minutes, beginning just after 11pm on Wednesday and concluding at 2:37am on Thursday.
Her lengthy contribution saw parliamentary staff and fellow MLCs remain in the chamber well past midnight.
Webb attempted to move an adjournment at 12:34am after speaking for more than an hour, citing concern for parliamentary staff working late hours.
Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor and independent Mike Gaffney backed the motion, with O’Connor saying she wanted a fresh start to finish the speeches on Thursday after a “stressful and emotional day”.
But the motion was defeated after pro-stadium MLCs and independent Ruth Forrest voted to push on.
“I apologise to the staff, simply because of potential inconvenience,” Webb told the house.
“But I don’t apologise for wishing to take this time to be accountable to my community, to the Tasmanians who have interacted with me on this issue over years.”
During her marathon speech, Webb dismantled the government’s case for the stadium, declaring it would “irrevocably ruin” Hobart’s heritage waterfront.
“This is it. This vote is the stop sign before the cliff,” she said.
Webb accused the Premier of “clandestine” decision-making, saying he had signed the stadium contract “in secret” without Cabinet approval or Treasury advice.
“This was an act of betrayal of the Tasmanian people,” she told the house.
She accused the government of deliberately misleading the public about the stadium’s appearance, claiming the ETFE roof would be not be transparent but rather “translucent at best”.
She said Tasmanians would get a “horrifically rude shock” when the “reality” emerged.
Independent Mersey MLC Mike Gaffney also spoke at length against the proposed stadium, warning it would damage Tasmania’s finances and heritage for generations.
Across 2 hours and 21 minutes, Gaffney told parliament the stadium represented “the wrong decision” that would impact the state “for the rest of its life, for forever”.
The $1.13 billion stadium is now certain to pass when it comes to a final vote on Thursday evening.
Eight members of the Legislative Council have declared their support, giving the government the numbers it needs.
Liberal MLCs Nick Duigan, Jo Palmer and Kerry Vincent are voting yes, along with Labor’s Luke Edmunds and Sarah Lovell.
Independents Tania Rattray, Bec Thomas, Casey Hiscutt and Dean Harriss complete the majority.
Voting against are independents Ruth Forrest, Meg Webb, Mike Gaffney and Rosemary Armitage, joined by Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor.
Dean Harriss secured commitments from the government on budget repair before confirming his support.
He said the government had promised to consider tax increases as part of addressing Tasmania’s deteriorating finances.
“The government has confirmed that in addition to the need to rein in spending, budget repair will require an increase in own-source revenue,” he said.
A letter from the government outlined that net borrowings for government businesses would be reduced by $500 million over three years, while stadium borrowings would increase by $490 million.
Casey Hiscutt, the new member for Montgomery, told parliament his decision was “complicated and monstrous” with implications for all Tasmanians.
He acknowledged the cost would be a “significant financial impost” on the state.
“The current estimate is $1.13 billion and this is likely to grow – it would be naive to think otherwise,” he said.
But he said when the amount invested in health and other departments is taken into consideration, the stadium “starts to look like small fries in comparison” and says its benefits should not be understated.
The Legislative Council will return at 11am on Thursday to continue proceedings before the final vote is held in the afternoon or evening.
